The South Korean Embassy in Iran has called for hundreds of its citizens there to prepare for possible contingencies, warning that the coronavirus outbreaks in the Islamic republic could escalate into a "serious situation."

In an emergency notice posted on its website Thursday, the embassy urged about 200 South Korean citizens in Iran to ensure they always carry their passports, cash, mobile phones and other "essential" items.

The number of Iran's COVID-19 cases has reportedly risen to at least 245 with 26 deaths, the highest fatalities outside of China, raising concerns about the safety of Koreans in the country under biting sanctions that have triggered a shortage of medicine and medical equipment. 

"Although COVID-19 has been rapidly spreading in Iran, the detailed movement routes of infected people have yet to be made public. Thus the risks of person-to-person transmission are big, and there is an expectation that this could develop into a serious situation," the embassy said.

"Our government has been doing its best to protect overseas citizens and plans to explain the specific course of actions should a serious situation take place in the future," it said.

Among the 254 cases of the novel coronavirus is Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar. The spread of the virus has caused foreign governments to consider evacuating their citizens aboard chartered flights.

At the center of public concerns is that Iran may have difficulty treating its patients due to a lack of medicine. Despite the risks of coming under anti-Tehran sanctions, Seoul has been exploring ways to export humanitarian products to Iran. (Yonhap)