Mostaan 110 or Musta'an 110 () is an

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

counterfeit device designed by the

Basij The Basij (, lit. ''The Mobilization'') or Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin (, lit. ''Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed''), is a paramilitary volunteer militia within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of its five ...

militia. The device was unveiled in April 2020 by the

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, is a multi-service primary branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, Iranian Armed Forces. It was officially established by Ruhollah Khom ...

(IRGC), who claimed it was capable of remotely detecting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. These claims were met with wide skepticism from experts both inside Iran and internationally, and the device's capabilities have not been independently proven.

Description

Mostaan 110 is a series of smaller devices, though the main device appears to be a wired handheld device slightly resembling a

power drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless bat ...

, featuring a long forward-facing metal antenna mounted to the top. According to the IRGC, the device detects COVID-19 using electromagnetic radiation emitted by the antenna. The device is connected to a handheld dish-like device, apparently used to scan people.

Claims

The IRGC claimed that the device can be used to detect moments of the coronavirus within a radius using electromagnetic radiation, with an accuracy rate of 80%. IRGC Commander-in-Chief

Hossein Salami Hossein Salami (; 1960 – 13 June 2025) was an Iranian military officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from 2019 until 2025 when he was killed by an Israeli airstrike during the Iran–Is ...

stated that the device could be used for mass screening of people and scanning contaminated areas, claiming that its ability to specify which area is contaminated could minimize the amount of disinfectants being used in areas that are not contaminated. Salami hailed it as an "amazing invention" by Basiji scientists and a remarkable achievement for the IRGC. Salami claimed that "dozens of countries" had contacted Iran about the device, but clarified that Iran would not share its technology with the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

until American sanctions against Iran were lifted.

Reception

Mostaan 110's unveiling and the IRGC's claims were met with widespread criticism from both Iranian and international experts, who described it as

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable cl ...

. The

Physical Society of Iran The Physical Society of Iran (PSI) (انجمن فيزيک ايران) is Iran's professional and academic society of physicists. PSI is a non-profit organization aimed at establishing and strengthening scientific contacts between physicists and aca ...

called the IRGC's description of the device "an unbelievable claim, as far as science fiction is concerned," and called it a pseudoscientific claim. According to the statement, the Human Knowledge Association is currently unable to detect 100-nanometer particles remotely. The

Ministry of Health and Medical Education The Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) has executive responsibility for health and medical education within the Iranian government. The MOHME comprises five departments headed by deputy ministers: Health, Research & Technology, Ed ...

quickly issued a statement following the unveiling, clarifying that the ministry had not issued a license for the device. Some commentators noted the device's strong resemblance and similarity to the

ADE 651 The ADE 651 is a fraudulent bomb detector produced by the British company Advanced Tactical Security & Communications Ltd (ATSC). It was claimed to detect many substances, such as drugs or explosives, from long distances. The device was sold ...

, a British device that was marketed as an effective

explosive detection Explosive detection is a non-destructive inspection process to determine whether a container contains explosive material. Explosive detection is commonly used at airports, ports and for border control. Detection tools Colorimetrics & automated ...

tool, but was actually a

dowsing rod Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, claimed radiations ( radiesthesia),As translated from one preface of the Kassel experiments, "roughly 10,000 active dowsers in G ...

with no scanning capabilities whatsoever. Mostaan 110's unveiling was met with mockery and criticism by Iranians on social media. Many Iranians expressed doubt about the veracity of the IRGC's claims, and some teased officials by asking them why the device, which the IRGC praised as a "breakthrough", was not being mass-produced to deal with the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Responding to negative reactions to Mostaan 110, IRGC spokesman Ramezan Sharif defended the IRGC's claims, saying the device had been tested for at least 10 days in at least 10 hospitals and treatment centers for coronary patients in the country more than 10 days before its official unveiling.

References

{{reflist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps COVID-19 pandemic in Iran Science and technology in Iran