Iran says it is ready to assist Turkey in its fight against the forest fires that have engulfed the southern and western coasts over the last three days.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Friday voiced Iran�s sympathy with the Turkish government and people over the incident which claimed the lives of at least four people and injured more than 180 as thousands of firefighters were battling huge blazes spreading across the Mediterranean resort regions of Turkey's coasts.

He expressed regret over heavy financial damages and fatalities caused by the wildfires.

According to AFP, the fires first emerged across a sparsely populated region about 75 kilometers east of Antalya - a resort especially popular with Russian and other eastern European tourists.

But they were creeping closer Thursday to sandy beaches dotted with hotels and resorts.

Images on social media and Turkish TV showed residents jumping out of their cars and running for their lives through smoke- filled streets lit up by orange flames.

The heavy clouds of smoke turned the sky dark orange over a beachfront hotel complex in the town of Manavgat. At least 183 people were hospitalized.