The UN World Health Organisation on Monday sent its first planeload of assistance to help fight coronavirus in Iran, the second-worst hit country after China, as the death toll rose by 12 to 66 in the Islamic republic.
Iran's confirmed cases leapt by 523 from the previous day to 1,501, said Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi.
Regional countries have especially worried about the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran.
In the Gulf region, some 129 cases have been confirmed across the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar -- many of them pilgrims returning from Iran, especially the Shiite holy city of Qom.
US President Donald Trump had Saturday offered that "if we can help the Iranians with this problem, we are certainly willing to do so... All they have to do is ask."
"What we see now is that demand has greatly exceeded our available stocks... and we are struggling to get access to more supplies."