A moderate earthquake jolted central and northern Iran on Friday, with tremors felt in Semnan province as tensions in the region remain high due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake measured 5.1 on the Richter scale and struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. Its epicentre was located approximately 37 kilometres southwest of Semnan city, near the Surkha area, a sparsely populated region of the province.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported a slightly higher magnitude of 5.2, while Iran’s Fars News Agency cited the tremor as a 5.5-magnitude earthquake.
So far, no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage have emerged, but local authorities are assessing the situation.
The earthquake comes at a time of heightened alert across Iran, with Israeli air raids continuing to target suspected military and intelligence installations across the country. However, seismologists have ruled out any connection between the tremors and the ongoing conflict, confirming the quake was of natural origin.
