A member of a council advising Iran’s Supreme Leader has died after falling sick from coronavirus, Mirror reveals.

He has become the first top official to succumb to the disease which is affecting members of the Islamic Republic’s leadership, which has the highest death toll in the world outside China.

Expediency Council member Seyyed Mohammad Mirmohammadi died aged 71 at a hospital in Tehran, according to state radio.

As well as acting as advisers, the council also settles disputes between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and parliament.

Also among the country’s infected officials is Iraj Harirchi, head of an Iranian government task force on the coronavirus who tried to downplay the virus before falling ill. Other high profile patients include Vice President for women and family affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar, better known as ‘Sister Mary’.

Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi announced on Monday, March 2 that the definite latest numbers are 523 new infections and 12 new deaths, so the total number of those infected is 1,501 until now and the number of deaths is 66 in Iran.