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A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Iran’s north-central Semnan province on Friday evening, shaking areas near the district of Sorkheh and reportedly felt in the capital, Tehran, amid continued military hostilities between Israel and Iran.
“At 21:19 p.m. (local time), Friday, June 20, a 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook the area around Sorkheh, a district in Semnan Province,” Iranian state news agency IRNA reported..
The quake struck 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) from Sorkheh and 36 kilometers (22.4 miles) from the provincial capital, Semnan, the agency said. Earlier, state-run Press TV reported a 5.2-magnitude quake had hit the same region, noting tremors were felt in Tehran and the neighboring Alborz province.
There have been no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Authorities are continuing to monitor the area.
Iran is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, sitting atop several major fault lines. The deadliest earthquake in recent memory struck the southeastern city of Bam in 2003, killing at least 34,000 people with a magnitude of 6.7. More recently, in July 2022, a magnitude 6.1 quake hit the southern Hormozgan province, killing five and injuring more than 80.
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The earthquake comes amid an ongoing military escalation between Israel and Iran that began June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes on multiple sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities. Tehran responded with retaliatory missile attacks.
According to Israeli officials, at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Iranian strikes. Iranian media report 639 people killed and more than 1,300 wounded in the Israeli assault.
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