BEIRUT — Iran reported 162 coronavirus-related deaths on Monday. The country"s previous single-day record high was 158 deaths recorded in April. The country has been particularly hard-hit by the virus and quickly emerged as the epicenter for the virus in the Middle East. “This increase in numbers is in fact a reflection of our overall performance, both in terms of reopening and in compliance with health protocols,” health ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said at a news conference in Tehran. One of the first countries in the world after China to be hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Iran has mobilized significant resources to fight the virus, setting up makeshift hospitals and ramping up the production and testing of medical equipment, while temporarily closing down (and then reopening) public places, stores and even mosques. The coronavirus pandemic may continue to plague the planet for as much as three more years, believes the spokeswoman. “If one takes into account the experience of previous pandemics, then, it is likely that the world will continue to be in the grip of the newly emerged COVID-19 pandemic for another two to three years,” Lari said. Since the start of the pandemic in February, Iran has reported a total of over 225,000 cases of COVID-19, with 186,180 people making a recovery, and 10,670 succumbing to virus-related complications. Over the past several months, the country has carried out testing of about 1.6 million people out of Iran’s total population of 81.8 million. Iran has been reporting 100+ COVID-19 related deaths for over two weeks now, with a spike in fatalities first reported on June 14. — Agencies