Iran's Basij Force turns US Embassy building into mask factory, sends masks to US

Iran’s Basij Force has offered to send medical supplies to those in need in America after converting the former US embassy in Tehran into a mask production workshop.

The Basij Force, the paramilitary arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), launched a mask production workshop in the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported on March 14.

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The workshop produces 5,000 masks daily, according to IRNA.

The head of the Basij Force Brig. Gen. Gholamreza Soleimani paid a visit to the workshop on Sunday.

“We have prepared a shipment of medical supplies to send to the poor American nation which we will present to the Swiss embassy today,” an official of the Basij Force said on Sunday during Soleimani’s visit.

“We are ready to help the Americas who today cannot meet their basic needs,” said Mohammad Javad Nikravesh.

“It may be impossible for Americans to imagine that such youth would rise to help them from their former embassy in Iran,” he added.

The head of the IRGC Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami had also previously offered help to the US against coronavirus.

Read more: Coronavirus: Iran and allies call for the US to waive sanctions

“I say to [US officials] that if the people of America need help, we are ready to help them, but we do not need their help,” he said last week.

As of Monday, 2,640 in Iran have died from coronavirus, and there are 38,309 confirmed cases. In the US, 2,471 have died and there are 141,136 confirmed infections.

Read more: Iran warns of lengthy ‘new way of life’ as coronavirus deaths rise