TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday expressed deep regret over the fire that erupted in France’s Notre Dame Cathedral.

“Saddened that Notre Dame—that iconic monument dedicated to the worship of our one God & that brought all of us closer through Hugo's literary masterpiece—is partially destroyed after standing through wars & revolution for 800 yrs,” Zarif said in a tweet. “Our thoughts are w/ the French & all Catholics.”

A massive fire consumed Notre-Dame Cathedral on Monday, gutting the roof of the Paris landmark and stunning France and the world.

MH/PA