KERMANSHAH, Sarpol-e Zahab -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a visit on Monday morning to Kermanshah province, western Iran, which was hit severely by a deadly earthquake on November 12.

The Leader first visited Sarpol-e Zahahb, the city hardest hit by the earthquake.

“I sympathize with each broken heart,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted.

In the earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale, about 440 people lost their lives. 

The Leader also referred to the sufferings of people in the region when Saddam Hussein’s army invaded Iran in 1980, saying, “It is not the first time that such incidents happen to the people of this region.”

The Leader added, “I was among you during the imposed war and you demonstrated your valor and resistance during the imposed war and today it is needed to show it.”

The Leader also praised people’s humanitarian aid to the quake-stricken families, saying, “You see that Iranian people now consider themselves ‘Kermanshahi’ and people feel they are indebted to Kermanshah.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said all officials made efforts to lessen the sufferings of quake victims “but I am not still convinced”.