In a Wednesday message, Ayatollah Khamenei said that he received the reports of the strong earthquake, which killed more than 37 people and wounded 850 others, with "deep grief and sorrow".

The Leader called on all related authorities to "do their utmost" to save as many lives as possible and to provide the survivors with relief.

“I hope that, as always, dear people from throughout the country play their magnificent role in reducing suffering of the afflicted people,” the Leader said in his message.
 

According to the Iranian Seismological Center, the powerful quake hit the town of Kaki, some 90 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital, Bushehr, at 4:22 p.m. local time (1152 GMT) on Tuesday at a depth of 12 kilometers.

The quake was followed by several aftershocks, which jolted Kaki and the nearby city Khour-Mowj.

The Persian Gulf Arab states of Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have also felt the shocks from the quake.