Iran has received a shipment of 150,000 doses of an Indian Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, local media reported, as the Islamic republic combats the Middle East's deadliest outbreak of the illness.

“The coronavirus vaccine shipment from India arrived at (Tehran's) Imam Khomeini airport containing 150,000 doses,” deputy customs chief Mehrdad Jamal Arvanaghi told ISNA news agency.

Iran, which is in its second month of a vaccination campaign, is to receive another 375,000 doses from India next week, the health ministry's public relations head Kianoush Jahanpour announced on Twitter.