Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi has issued a message to express condolences with his Turkish and Syrian counterparts over the powerful quake which has left thousands of people dead and injured.

In separate messages to the presidents of Turkey and Syria, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bashar al-Assad respectively, on Monday, Raeisi expressed Iran's readiness to provide immediate relief aid to the two friendly countries hit by the earthquake that led to the loss of a considerable number of lives and huge damage to property.

The quake struck at 04:17 a.m. local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers (11 miles) and was followed by a 6.7-magnitude aftershock 15 minutes later, according to the US Geological Survey.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) put the magnitude of the quake at 7.8 while Turkey’s emergencies service center, AFAD, put it at 7.4.


Raed Ahmed, who heads Syria’s National Earthquake Center, told Syrian media that this was “historically, the biggest earthquake recorded in the history of the center.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also expressed his deep sorrow over the powerful quake in the two friendly and Muslim countries of Turkey and Syria.

In a post on his Twitter account on Monday, the top Iranian diplomat expressed his solidarity with the Turkish and Syrian governments and nations, saying that the Islamic Republic is ready to provide help to the quake-stricken areas.

Later on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian had a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, sympathizing with the Syrian government and nation.

Iran’s top diplomat also expressing his condolences and those of Iran's president to the government and nation of Syria, declaring Iran’s readiness to provide Syria with humanitarian aid.

Mekdad, for his part, thanked Iran’s president and foreign minister for their expression of condolences and sympathy, describing Iran and Syria as two friendly and brotherly nations.

He also presented a report to Amir-Abdollahian on the latest situation of quake-stricken regions and what his country needed.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Red Crescent Society has taken immediate measures to send aid to those regions of Turkey and Syria, which have been hit by the earthquake. Iranian medical teams will be also dispatched to help people in those areas.

Iran’s Red Crescent Society says it is planning to send six rescue, medical and emergency management teams to help victims of Turkey's earthquake.