A 78-year-old member of the Iranian clerical body that chooses the country's supreme leader has died from the illness caused by the new coronavirus, news agencies reported Monday. He was the latest of several senior Iranian officials to have been infected in the worsening outbreak. The semi-official Fars and Tasnim news agencies reported that Ayatollah Hashem Bathaei, a low-profile, moderate member of the Assembly of Experts, died from the COVID-19 illness. The clerical assembly has the authority to appoint or remove the supreme leader, who has the final say on all major policies. CLICK HERE FOR MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGEDespite the mounting toll, many Iranians are shrugging off concerns about the virus.

Source: Fox News March 16, 2020 09:33 UTC