At least two officials have said that the number of coronavirus cases in Iran is much higher than the Iranian government has reported.

Nahidid Khodakarami, the head of Tehran City Council Health Committee, said: ”In the most pessimistic case, the number of people with coronavirus disease [COVID-19] in Iran may be as high as 10,000 or 15,000 cases” and added: "Some people may be infected with the coronavirus without being aware of it."

Gholamali Jafarzadeh Imenabadi, a member of parliament for Rasht, also said that the death toll from coronavirus in Iran "is very high” and described it as “scary.”

Addressing government officials, Imenabadi said, ”I urge the authorities to swear by God and provide real statistics to the people. Unfortunately, the statistics are often hidden from the public, and I can honestly say that what has been presented so far is not true."

He then explained that he was partly basing his statements on what he had heard from Rasht residents. "You cannot hide the cemeteries,” he said. "Somehow, the reports we have about cemeteries, as well as the reports from friends, point to horrifying statistics that cannot be hidden. I received data on deaths from coronavirus from Behesht-e Zahra, Tazeh-Abad, and Bagh-e Rezvan cemeteries in Rasht, and I have to say the figures are much higher than what has been published.”

He then spoke out further against what appeared to be a wider policy throughout the country. "I see the president's stance on not quarantining the cities where there is a coronavirus outbreak as a wrong decision, and basically, I do not quite understand all the secrecy about this issue.” He added that, where there had been cases of coronavirus, quarantine should be "an obligatory issue.”

“We have formally demanded it, which was unfortunately opposed by the Supreme National Security Council," Imenabadi said.