YEREVAN (Armenpress/Yerkir)–Armenian prime minister Antranik Margarian sent condolences to Iran’s vice-president Mohammad Reza Arefi Friday–conveying the profound sympathy of the Armenian nation for the deaths of thousands of Iranians in the Friday-morning earthquake. "I was deeply shocked with the report of the earthquake that has taken numerous victims. Please accept sincere condolences of the Armenian people–to the leadership and the people of Iran in connection with this tragedy," Margarian said in the message
The Special Emergency Department of Armenia informed Iranian authorities of its readiness to send a group of rescuers to the region. No response has been received yet from Iran–informed department head Nikolay Grigorian.