Iran Earthquake Today: 5.1 Magnitude Quake Strikes Near Tehran

 

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck Iran on June 21, centered 37 kilometers southwest of Semnan at a depth of 10 kilometers. Although tremors reached 5.5 magnitude near Sorkheh, Iranian news agency IRNA reported no casualties and only minimal damage.

Iran Earthquake: Tremors of 5.1 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Iran on Friday, June 21. The quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) some 37 kilometres (23 miles) southwest of the city of Semnan, the US Geological Survey said. This comes amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel which are exchanging missiles.

Iran's news agency IRNA reported no casualties and only “minimal damage” and said that tremors of 5.5 magnitude "shook the area around the city of Sorkheh in Semnan province".

Earlier quakes in Iran

Iran saw numerous notable temblors as a magnitude 4.2 earthquake hit near Kashmar in Razavi Khorasan Province on June 19 while on June 17, another 4.2-magnitude quake struck near Borazjan in Bushehr Province.

Israel-Iran conflict

Tel Aviv was rocked early Thursday when an Iranian-fired missile struck the base of a high-rise on Jabotinsky Street in Ramat Gan, just 200 m from the city’s diamond exchange. Residents described the blast as feeling like a “nuclear explosion” or even an “earthquake".

Locals saw scenes of destruction in Ramat Gan. Asher Adiv, a 69-year-old, a nearby resident told the Guardian, “It was like an atom bomb. An earthquake."

Iran is among the most seismically active countries in the world due to its position along the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt, where the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates converge. This tectonic setting leads to frequent earthquakes, with the country experiencing an average of about 2,100 quakes each year, including roughly 15 to 16 that reach a magnitude of 5.0 or higher.

The missile was part of a larger salvo of around 30 ballistic missiles fired by Iran, aimed at central and southern Israel. One of the most significant impacts was a direct hit on Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel’s primary hospital in the south, where dozens were reported injured, including six in serious condition.

5.2 earthquake rattles central Iran amid growing hostilities with Israel

The quake’s shallow depth of just 10 km raises concerns about potential surface damage, especially in densely built or vulnerable areas.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at 9:19 pm local time, with the epicenter located about 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Semnan — roughly 210 km (130.5 miles) east of Tehran — at a shallow depth of six miles (10 km).

Shallow earthquakes tend to cause more surface damage, and even a magnitude 5 tremor can lead to significant destruction, especially in densely populated or poorly constructed areas.

No damage reported

No damage or casualties have been confirmed so far, according to Iranian media, though tremors were reportedly felt in the capital, Tehran. Semnan is also home to the Semnan Space Center and a major missile complex operated by Iran’s military.

This latest seismic event comes amid a volatile backdrop as Iran and Israel have continued missile exchanges since last Friday’s air assault on Tehran.

Iran has recorded several notable tremors in recent days, including a 4.2 magnitude quake near Kashmar in Razavi Khorasan Province on June 19, and another of the same magnitude near Borazjan in Bushehr Province on June 17.

It also follows a 5.5 magnitude quake in southern Iran last month that claimed the lives of 35 people and injured 278 people.

The tremor adds to a growing atmosphere of uncertainty in the region as Iran and Israel continue to trade missile fire, following Israel Defence Forces’ deadly blitz targeting Tehran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure last Friday.

The timing has raised alarm, especially after the UN nuclear watchdog chief warned of dire consequences should military operations target nuclear sites.

“Armed attack for nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond boundaries of the state which has been attacked,” said Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, addressing the UN Security Council just hours before the quake.

The attacks so far have caused a “sharp degradation to nuclear safety and security in Iran. Though they have not so far led to a radiological release affecting the public, there is a danger this could occur,” he said.

His comments came a day after an Israeli military official walked back claims that the Bushehr nuclear power plant—built by Russia and stationed on Iran’s Gulf coast—had been struck. The official called the earlier statement a “mistake” but refused to confirm or deny whether the facility was hit.