Iran on Wednesday said it was close to “curbing” the new coronavirus outbreak even as it reported more than 2,000 fresh infections for the third day in a row. Iran would “even not have these problems” if health protocols “were more closely observed in some of the provinces that are currently in an unfavourable situation”, he told a televised cabinet meeting. At least 24 of Iran’s 434 counties were “red” — the highest level on the country’s colour-coded risk scale, according to deputy health minister Alireza Raisi.