Iran's Supreme Leader, the late Ali Khamenei, had a special attitude towards Armenia, he fondly called Armenia Iran's noble neighbor. Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami, stated this at a press conference Wednesday.

According to Shirgholami, Khamenei treated the Armenian community of Iran with special respect and visited Armenian families on various occasions, especially those whose members had died in the Iran-Iraq war.

"He especially emphasized the importance of Armenian-Iranian friendship," the Iranian diplomat noted, expressing hope that Ali Khamenei's ideas will continue to serve as a basis for the development of bilateral relations.

Also, the Iranian ambassador to Armenia thanked the Armenian side for the participation of a delegation, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in the farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei. According to him, this is evidence of the strong ties and special nature of the relations between the two countries.