Why has the coronavirus hit Iran so hard?

We ask whether US sanctions or Tehran are to blame for exacerbating COVID-19 and discuss Brazil's approach to the virus.

COVID-19: Iran's government 'didn't botch the response'

According to official figures, at least six people die every hour in Iran from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Islamic republic has become one of the world's coronavirus epicentres, with the death toll surpassing 3,000 this week and cases topping 50,000.

As the virus spreads in Iran, the government has been criticised for its response to the crisis, particularly how it handled the situation in Qom, now the country's worst-hit city where the outbreak began. It has also been accused of playing down the number of cases.