Iran recorded its worst day of new deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with 337 confirmed dead on Monday.
The grim milestone represents a significant spike from the previous single-day death toll record of 279.
Fatalities have soared in recent weeks, as authorities struggle to contain the virus’s spread months into the pandemic.
Iran has seen the worst outbreak in the Middle East with a death toll that topped 30,000 this week.
The government has resisted a total lockdown to salvage its devastated economy, already weakened by unprecedented US sanctions.
Now the death toll is skyrocketing, eclipsing the previous highs recorded in March amid the worst of its outbreak.
