Iran has reported a new single-day record death toll of 221 from the novel coronavirus, after weeks of rising numbers in the Middle East's worst-hit country.

“Unfortunately in the past 24 hours, we have lost 221 of our compatriots to the Covid-19 disease,” health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told a televised news conference. “The death toll has now reached 12,305.”

“The number of [new] cases identified [since Wednesday] is 2,079,” Lari said, bringing the total number of infections to 250,458.