A powerful 5.1-magnitude earthquake rattled northern Iran on Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), compounding tensions in a country already reeling from intensified Israeli military assaults.
The quake—measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale as reported by Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency—struck at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), approximately 37 kilometers (23 miles) southwest of Semnan city. Notably, the tremor occurred alarmingly close to Iran’s highly sensitive Fordow nuclear enrichment facility located in Qom Province, raising fresh concerns over the region’s stability.
Seismic tremors were reportedly felt in Tehran, Iran’s bustling capital, located around 145 miles west of the epicenter. Despite the proximity to critical infrastructure, the quake caused only light shaking with no immediate reports of casualties or structural damage.
However, the earthquake was not the only jolt Iran experienced on Friday.
Almost simultaneously, Israel launched a series of coordinated airstrikes deep into Iranian territory. According to multiple regional reports, one of the key targets was an Iranian air defense installation known as “Magar” in the southwestern province of Behmai.
Israeli news outlet Ynetnews confirmed the strikes, which reportedly obliterated three surface-to-surface missile launchers the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed were “prepared to fire a barrage of missiles toward Israel.” The IDF further stated that a group of Iranian military personnel, including a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) base commander responsible for overseeing 15 missile launchers, was neutralized in a separate drone strike.
“A Remotely Piloted Aircraft identified a group of Iranian soldiers en route to conduct a missile launch. The cell was eliminated,” the IDF declared in a statement posted to its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The coincidence of the earthquake and military strikes has intensified speculation and anxiety both within Iran and across the broader Middle East. Analysts warn that any further escalation—whether from beneath the ground or from the skies—could tip the fragile balance of the region into a full-scale confrontation.
As Iran reels from both natural and man-made shocks, the world watches with bated breath.
PIONEER NEWS 