TEHRAN– A top military aide to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution has said that the U.S. will use psychological and virtual warfare more than ever to keep its authority.

“In order to maintain its interests and potentials in the regional and global dimensions, the U.S. will use psychological and virtual warfare more than ever to keep its authority and intimidate its rivals,”  Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi said on Tuesday.

Rahim Safavi also said, “Until the coronavirus vaccine and effective treatment method is found, the extent and depth of the consequences of this crisis in various economic, political, security, military and technological, and even cultural and moral components cannot be discussed in detail.”

The former IRGC chief went on to say that “although the death toll from the virus is lower than the flu, concerns and fears about the speed and strength of the outbreak and its spread have affected many areas of human relations.” 

The general who teaches geopolitics at Shahid Beheshti University also said it cannot be ruled out that the coronavirus has its roots in a biological warfare. “The coronavirus has created the crisis in almost every country in the world, especially in the West and these countries have inevitably abandoned many of their interactions, relationships, activities, and priorities, and are seeking to combat the disease.”

He added, “During the last four months, the initial effects and consequences of this crisis have been so devastating in some areas of human life or the current global characteristics and features of countries that the image of the continuation or expansion of this biological event has raised additional fears and concerns in the international community.” 

“Although the US and the West have so far been portrayed as the epitome of developed societies and have set their own standards as a model for the development of other societies and countries, the corona crisis has shown an inverted picture from the West,” Safavi said.