The Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei has visited the quake-stricken regions in Iran's northwestern province of East Azarbaijan on Thursday.

During the visit, Ayatollah Khamenei extended his condolences to those who had lost their loved ones in Saturday's twin earthquakes.

The Leader said the Iranian nation sympathizes with the inhabitants of the quake-stricken regions.

Iranians are a united people and it is this unity that has made them strong, Ayatollah Khamenei added.

Imam Khamenei stated that the officials are tasked with a heavy duty for reconstructing the quake-hit areas and strengthening them against earthquakes, while advising people in quake-hit province to help the officials with their task.

"If people in these [quake-hit] districts cooperate and empathize with one another, this incident can become a springboard and change the appearance of this region," Ayatollah Khamenei added.

Speaking at the East Azarbaijan Governor's Office in Tabriz, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the quality of relief operations in quake-hit regions as unique, and urged local authorities to continue providing quake-stricken people with their basic needs - including heaters, blankets and drinking water - in order to restore tranquility and serenity to those hit by the calamity.

On Saturday, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake rocked the city of Ahar, near the provincial capital of Tabriz, at 15:53 local time (1123 GMT). The quake struck 60 kilometers northeast of Tabriz at a depth of 9.9 kilometers.

More than 300 people were killed while the number of injured surpassed 3000.