Iran now accepting quake aid

TEHRAN, Iran - In a change of heart, Iran said Tuesday that it welcomed foreign aid for victims of the twin earthquakes that hit the country's northwest over the weekend.

The remarks indicated authorities were struggling to cope with the quakes' aftermath. Critics charged they failed to react quickly enough to help the region along the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, where the 6.4- and 6.3-magnitude quakes Saturday killed 306 people and injured more than 3,000.

"We would welcome help by any country," said Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, during his visit to the earthquake-stricken area Tuesday.

Iran's government said it had provided shelter for about 50,000 people who lost their homes during the quakes, which have been followed by scores of aftershocks.

A magnitude-5.3 aftershock Tuesday afternoon shook the town of Varzaqan again, the semioffical Fars news agency reported. Varzaqan was one of the weekend epicenters.

In Tehran and other major cities, people stood in long lines to donate blood.

For two days after the quakes, Tehran insisted it needed no foreign aid, but on Tuesday, Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said Iran was now welcoming assistance from abroad.

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it would expedite applications to help Iran's earthquake victims.