Tehran, Mar 16 (AFP) Iran closed four key Shiite pilgrimage sites across the Islamic republic on Monday in line with measures to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, state media reported.

State television said that "upon the orders of the anti-coronavirus headquarters and the health minister, the holy shrines of" Imam Reza in Mashhad, Fatima Masumeh in Qom and Shah Abdol-Azim in Tehran were closed until further notice.

Qom's Jamkaran mosque also said in a separate statement it would close its doors, state news agency IRNA reported. (AFP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)