Iran has become one of the worst-affected countries by the coronavirus pandemic, reporting nearly 1,000 deaths and more than 16,000 cases.

Some experts and critics of the Iranian government say it's likely the virus is far more severe than officials are reporting, alleging that leaders have sought to cover up the full extent of the outbreak.

Amid the worsening crisis, American sanctions on Iran have come under scrutiny as the country struggles with a shortage of medical equipment and protective gear.

A series of disturbing satellite images has also shown the deadliness of the virus — workers have been digging mass burial pits for weeks.

On Tuesday, an Iranian state TV journalist said the country could see 4 million cases of COVID-19 and 3.5 million deaths if people don't comply with the government's travel warnings and guidance to socially isolate.

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Just months into the global coronavirus crisis, Iran has emerged as one of the pandemic's hardest-hit countries, with a skyrocketing death toll, sick and dying government officials and religious leaders, and a crackdown on information.

As of Tuesday, health officials had reported 988 deaths and more than 16,000 cases across the country.

The Iranian government has been accused of a series of missteps in handling the outbreak, with critics saying the country initially downplayed the extent and severity of the outbreak and alleging a full-blown cover-up.

There's even reason to believe the true number of deaths far exceeds what the government has reported. Western media reports have been skeptical about the reliability of the Iranian government's data, and satellite images captured last week show massive burial trenches that can be seen from space.

Here's how the situation has devolved in Iran and how it got so dire.