Iran has imposed a week-long lockdown on Tehran and the surrounding region as the country struggles with another surge in the coronavirus pandemic, AP reports.

The lockdown will begin on Tuesday and last until next Monday. All market places, public offices as well as movie theaters, gyms and restaurants will close in both Tehran and the neighbouring province of Alborz.

Iran reported 25,441 new cases today and 213 deaths, bringing the overall death toll to 87,374 from among more than 3.5 million confirmed cases in the pandemic.

Iranian authorities have lately been warning about a new surge, fuelled by the fast-spreading Delta variant.