Iran's President Hassan Rouhani called on Saturday for big gatherings such as weddings and wakes to be banned to stem a rise in coronavirus infections, but insisted that its sanctions-hit economy had to stay open.

Iran must continue economic, social and cultural activities while observing health protocols, Rouhani said during a televised virus taskforce meeting.

It was not possible to keep businesses and economic activities shut down in the long-term, he said, emphasizing that "the people will not accept this".

Shortly after Rouhani's televised speech, a police official in Tehran announced the closure of all wedding and mourning venues in the capital until further notice.

Iran has been gradually relaxing its lockdown since mid-April, but has recently reported a sharp rise in the infection rate.

Iran's daily COVID-19 death toll has topped 100 since around mid-June, with a record single-day tally of 221 reported on Thursday.

Iran's health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari reported Saturday that 188 people had died from the respiratory disease in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll to 12,635.

Lari also raised the country's caseload to 255,117, with 2,397 new infections recorded.

An adviser to Iran's Coronavirus Task Force warned that if appropriate measures were not taken, between 50,000 and 60,000 people could die from the pandemic.

The outbreak's rising toll has prompted authorities to make wearing masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and to allow the hardest hit provinces to reimpose restrictive measures.

Iran closed schools, cancelled public events and banned movement between its 31 provinces in March, but Rouhani's government progressively lifted restrictions from April to reopen its sanctions-hit economy.

While struggling to curb the spread of COVID-19, Iranian authorities are concerned that tougher measures could wreck an economy already reeling under U.S. sanctions.

(With input from AFP and Reuters)