Rouhani says 25 million Iranians infected with COVID-19

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that 25 million Iranians have been infected with the coronavirus and that another 35 million are at risk of getting infected.

Iran, with a population of more than 80 million, has been the worst hit Middle East country in the pandemic. "Our estimate is that as of now 25 million Iranians have been infected with this virus and about 14,000 have lost their dear lives," Rouhani said in the speech.

"There is the possibility that between 30 and 35 million other people will be at risk," he said, adding that "In total, more than 200,000 people have been hospitalized."

The Health Ministry reported a total of 271,606 confirmed cases with 13,979 deaths as of Saturday.