US intelligence agencies are monitoring the global spread of coronavirus and the ability of governments to respond, sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday, warning that there were concerns about how India would cope with a widespread outbreak.
While there are only a few known cases in India, one source said the country's available countermeasures and the potential for the virus to spread given India's dense population was a focus of serious concern.
US intelligence agencies are also focusing on Iran, where the country's deputy health minister has fallen ill during a worsening outbreak. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday the United States was "deeply concerned" Tehran may have covered up details about the spread of coronavirus.
A US government source said Iran's response was considered ineffective because the government only has minimal capabilities to respond to the outbreak.
Another source said US agencies were also concerned about the weak ability of governments in some developing countries to respond to an outbreak.
The US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee has received a briefing on the virus from the agencies.
"The Committee has received a briefing from the IC (intelligence community) on coronavirus, and continues to receive updates on the outbreak on a daily basis," an official of the House Intelligence Committee told Reuters.
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A Civil Defense member wearing protective suits sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in the closed shops, and hotels in Najaf, Iraq. AP -
Members of the medical team check the temperature of Iraqi men, following the coronavirus outbreak, at the entrance checkpoint of South Mosul, Iraq. Reuters -
Iraqi health officials and Civil Defense staff wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus in the commercial markets in Najaf, Iraq, AP -
An Iranian woman wearing face mask sits in a bus on a street of Tehran, Iran According to the Ministry of Health, 139 people diagnosed with the Covid-19 coronavirus. EPA -
Iranian women wearing face masks walk on a street of Tehran, Iran. According to the Ministry of Health, 139 people diagnosed with the Covid-19. EPA -
People wearing protective masks are seen on a street in the centre of the Bahraini capital Manama. AFP -
A bus conductor wearing a surgical mask stands in front of a bus station in the Bahraini capital Manama. AFP -
Kuwaiti kids wear protective face masks, following the outbreak of coronavirus, during celebrations of the 29th Kuwait Liberation Day. Reuters -
A girl wears a mask as anti-government protesters carry banners and shout slogans during a protest in front of the Lebanese Ministry of Health under the slogan 'Our life is not a toy in your hands' in Beirut, Lebanon. EPA -
People wearing wearing protective masks walk out of the El-Kettar hospital in the Algerian capital Algiers. AFP -
Anti-government protesters carry banners read in Arabic, 'You are the coronavirus, you are the epidemic during a protest in front of the Lebanese Ministry of Health. EPA -
Medics walk outside a clinic where the flight crew as well as several people who were in contact with an Italian man who tested positive for COVID-19 in Algeria. AP -
A health worker takes the temperature of a man, who returned from Afghanistan, for a medical observation as a preventive measure following the coronavirus outbreak, crossing point at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border town. Reuters -
A volunteers (L) hands out free facemasks to people as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus, in Herat city. AFP -
Chinese women wear protective masks as they eat dinner at an open restaurant in Beijing, China. Getty -
A Chinese security guard wears a protective mask as he checks the temperature of people entering a residential building in Beijing, China. Getty -
A worker inspects a protective mask on the production line at the Mask Factory Co. facility in Hong Kong, China. Bloomberg -
A resident of Jongno-Gu wearing a face mask sprays disinfectant as a precaution against the coronavirus at the Jogyesa Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea. AP -
A South Korean soldier wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 on a street in Daegu, South Korea. AP -
A tourist looks on from her balcony at a hotel that was put in quarantine due to a coronavirus infection, in Adeje, Tenerife, Spain. EPA -
A woman looks out of a window at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife, Spain. AP -
Passengers of the public transport wear a protective mask in Milan, Italy due to coronavirus outbreak. Getty -
Civil protection and health workers who wear protective suits and health masks deliver the evening meal at a hotel in Alassio where 34 people are in quarantine. EPA -
Workers wearing protective suits walk before they spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 at a market in Seoul, South Korea, AP
"Addressing the threat has both national security and economic dimensions, requiring a concerted government-wide effort and the IC is playing an important role in monitoring the spread of the outbreak, and the worldwide response," the official added.
A source familiar with the activities of the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Republican Senator Richard Burr and Democratic Senator Mark Warner, said the panel was receiving daily updates.
The role of US intelligence agencies in responding to the coronavirus epidemic at this point principally involves monitoring the spread of the illness around the world and assessing the responses of governments.
They are working closely with health agencies, such as the US Centre for Disease Control, in sharing information they collect and targeting further intelligence gathering.
One source said US agencies would use a wide range of intelligence tools, ranging from undercover informants to electronic eavesdropping tools, to track the impact of the virus.
