Iran has begun testing its own locally-made vaccine for the first time, local media report.

Tayebeh Mokhber, the daughter of senior official Mohammad Mokhber, was the first person to receive a dose of the Cov-IranBlessing on Tuesday.

"This was a message to the Iranian people that we already believe in what we will be injecting into our people, and if there are any complications all of us and our families will accept them willingly," Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in comments broadcast on state TV.

Mr Mokhber, meanwhile, said the country would be able to produce around 1.5 million monthly doses within weeks.

Almost 55,000 Iranians have died with coronavirus since the pandemic began - the highest figure in the Middle East - while more than 1.2 million people have been infected.

Iran's leaders have repeatedly said that US sanctions prevent the country from accessing coronavirus vaccines, although the sanctions make exceptions for medicine and humanitarian aid.

Tehran has signed up to the World Health Organization's Covax scheme, which is designed to distribute vaccines globally.