CAIRO -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 309,000 in Iran on Sunday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's tally nudges 279,000.

Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East region, reported 2,685 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 309,437.

Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said that the pandemic has so far claimed 17,190 lives in Iran, up by 208 in the past 24 hours. Besides, 268,102 have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 4,089 remain in critical condition.

Saudi Arabia announced 1,357 new cases and 30 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 278,835 and the death toll to 2,917.

The kingdom also reported 2,533 more recovered patients, taking the total recoveries to 240,081.

Turkey's number of seriously ill COVID-19 patients seems to be under control, Turkish health minister said on Sunday.

The COVID-19 cases increased by 987 in Turkey, raising the total diagnosed cases to 232,856, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.

The rate of pneumonia in COVID-19 patients is 8.5 percent, the number of seriously ill patients is 582, he stated.

Meanwhile, 18 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,728, Koca said, adding that a total of 978 patients recovered, raising the total recoveries to 216,494 in Turkey since the outbreak.

The Iraqi Health Ministry recorded 2,447 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide infections to 129,151.

It also reported 63 new fatalities during the day, a figure that has been gradually decreasing over the past days, raising the death toll to 4,868.

The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that Turkey has suspended the flights between the two countries until Sept. 1 following recommendations by the Turkish Health Ministry.

The return of the Iraqi citizens in Turkey will be "through diplomatic channels between the two countries," it noted.

The Qatari Health Ministry announced 196 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 111,107. The death toll increased by three to 177.

Egypt's increase of coronavirus cases continued the slowdown trend. The total cases in the country reached 94,483, with the addition of 167 new infections.

The Egyptian Health Ministry also reported 31 more deaths and 1,318 cases of recoveries, increasing the death toll to 4,865 and the total recoveries to 42,455.

Israel reported 597 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the tally of coronavirus infections to 72,815.

The death toll of the virus in Israel increased to 536 while the recoveries rose to 45,677.

Kuwait reported 463 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 67,911 and the death toll to 457, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 688 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 59,213.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 239 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 60,999.

And 360 more patients have recovered from the virus, taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 54,615, according to the ministry.

In Morocco, the tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 25,537 after 522 new cases were added, which included 382 fatalities and 18,435 recoveries.

Syria reported 29 new coronavirus cases in the government-controlled areas, bringing the overall number of infections to 809, including 256 recoveries and 44 deaths.

Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased by 155 cases to 4,885 while the death toll went up by one to 62, the Health Ministry reported.

Lebanon is currently in general mobilization mode while the country continues to conduct PCR tests for citizens in different areas of the country in an attempt to curb the daily increase in infections.