TEHRAN – Iran surpassed 20,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the health ministry said — the highest death toll for any Middle East country so far in the pandemic. Iran suffered the region's first major outbreak, seeing top politicians, health officials and religious leaders in its Shiite theocracy stricken with the virus. Iran reported its first coronavirus cases and deaths on the same day in February — the Mideast's first outbreak of the virus — yet it only saw its highest single-day spike in reported cases in June. On Wednesday, Iran reported over 350,200 confirmed cases, with 20,125 deaths, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said. The head of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah group called for smaller Ashoura mourning ceremonies and said there will be no rallies at the end of the 10-day mourning period.