President Hassan Rouhani expressed fear on Saturday that Iran would be affected by a new wave of COVID-19 pandemic, due to an outbreak of the Delta variant.

“It is feared that we are heading for a fifth wave across the country,” Rouhani said at a meeting of Iran’s anti-virus group, which warned the public to be cautious as “the Delta variant has spread.” in the southern provinces.

Iran fights the deadliest outbreak of coronavirus in the Middle East.

COVID-19 has killed more than 84,000 people from more than 3.2 million infections detected in the Islamic republic, according to official data that authorities admit does not explain all the infections.

The Ministry of Health has classified the capital Tehran and nine other cities in Tehran as “red” – the highest category on the Iranian coronavirus risk scale. province.

The southern and southeastern provinces of Fars, Hormozgan, Kerman, and Sistan-Baluchistan are also now classified as “red.”

Strangled by U.S. sanctions that have made it difficult to transfer money to foreign companies, Iran says it is struggling to import vaccines for its 83-million-strong population.

Just over 4.4 million people have received a first dose of vaccine in Iran, while only 1.7 million have received the necessary doses, the ministries of health he says.

“God willing, the situation will improve in terms of vaccines starting next week,” Rouhani said.

Iranian authorities have approved the emergency use of two locally produced vaccines.

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© 2021 AFP