Medical staff transfer a patient with Coronavirus to Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran, March 30, 2020 (WANA/Reuters)

UPDATE, 1100 GMT:

The Health Ministry has raised the official death toll to 3,036, an increase of 138 in the past 24 hours.

There are 47,593 official cases, a rise of 2,987, with 3,871 patients in critical condition.

The UK, France, and Germany have sent medical supplies to Iran, using a financial mechanism to bypass US sanctions for the first time.

The three European countries deployed INSTEX, set up on January 31, 2019 for trade in Iranian oil and other commodities and goods. Until now Iranian officials objected to implementation because of the EU’s criticism of Tehran’s missile research and development, activities in the Middle East, and alleged involvement in assassination and bomb plots in Europe.

See also Iran Daily, June 29: Tehran Says Europe Offer of Economic Link “Not Enough”

The German Foreign Ministry confirmed the delivery of supplies on Wednesday: “France, Germany, and the United Kingdom confirm that Instex has successfully concluded its first transaction, facilitating the export of medical goods from Europe to Iran. These goods are now in Iran.”

Sources said the transaction was for about €500,000 ($548,000) of equipment related to blood treatment from a German exporter and had been developed for several months, The provision is not linked to the Coronavirus epidemic in Iran.

The German Foreign Ministry said that the Europeans and Iranians would now “work on more transactions and enhancing the mechanism“.

An official said the Iranian company STFI, working with INSTEX, has signed a contract promising to pay for imports via a commercial banking transaction if there is no offsetting Iranian export to Europe. There is no deadline for the payment.

The source said transactions may now include medical goods to help deal with Coronavirus. He said US officals were informed of the completion of the first transaction.

Iran’s Health Ministry raised the official Cornnavirus death toll to 2,898, among 44,606 cases, on Tuesday.