Iran Earthquakes

No M1.5+ Iran earthquakes have been recorded in the past 24 hours.

Reading the Iran Earthquake Map

Iran is crossed by several active earthquake belts rather than a single national fault line. The latest-earthquake list, map and statistics on this page include available earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 and above. They update whenever the page loads or refreshes.

Select a map marker to see the earthquake’s magnitude, location, depth and time in UTC. The time controls can be used to compare earthquakes recorded during the last hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days. Small-earthquake coverage is not uniform: events near dense seismic networks are more likely to be detected than equally small earthquakes in remote deserts, mountains or offshore areas.

Iran earthquakes (map loads with JavaScript).

Map coverage note: Earthquakes close to Iran’s borders may be described using a place in Iraq, Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan or Pakistan. Offshore events may be labelled for the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman. These regional labels do not change the measured epicentre.

The Tectonic Forces Behind Iran’s Earthquakes

The Arabian Plate moves generally northward into Eurasia, but the collision is spread across a wide part of Iran. The crust does not respond as one rigid slab. Some regions shorten and thicken, some blocks rotate, and large faults allow neighbouring pieces of crust to move sideways. That combination gives Iran several distinct earthquake landscapes.

The Zagros: a Broad Belt of Hidden Ruptures

The Zagros Mountains run northwest to southeast through western and southern Iran. Frequent reverse and strike-slip earthquakes accommodate part of the Arabia–Eurasia collision beneath a spectacular landscape of long folds. Many Zagros earthquakes rupture faults in the crystalline basement below thick layers of sedimentary rock, so a damaging earthquake may leave little or no obvious surface break.

A detailed Geophysical Journal International study of Zagros earthquake mechanisms describes the range as one of Earth’s most seismically active continental fold-and-thrust belts and shows how shortening and sideways motion are divided among different fault systems.

The Alborz: Active Faults Around the Caspian

Northern Iran is shaped by the Alborz and Talesh mountains and the South Caspian basin. Reverse and left-lateral strike-slip faults absorb deformation between central Iran and the Caspian region. The 1990 Rudbar–Manjil earthquake showed that northern Iran can produce a long surface rupture and catastrophic shaking even though its earthquake pattern looks different from the Zagros.

Eastern Iran: Desert Blocks Bordered by Major Faults

Across central and eastern Iran, relatively rigid desert blocks are separated by long strike-slip and reverse faults. The Gowk, Nayband and Doruneh systems are among the important structures. Earthquakes can therefore occur far from an ocean trench or a simple plate-boundary line. Bam, on the western side of the Lut region, is the best-known modern example.

Tehran’s Hazard Is Close to Home

Tehran lies at the southern foot of the Alborz, close to the North Tehran, Mosha, Rey and other active fault systems. Fault proximity is only part of the problem. Much of the city is built over a deep sedimentary basin, and softer sediments can alter the strength and duration of shaking.

A 2026 Scientific Reports study produced a new three-dimensional image of Tehran’s shallow crust to improve understanding of the basin beneath the city. In May 2026, nine small earthquakes around Pardis drew fresh attention to the nearby Mosha Fault, about 40 kilometers east of the capital, according to reporting on the Pardis sequence.

A cluster of small earthquakes is not a countdown to a larger event. Scientists can map faults, estimate long-term hazard and forecast aftershock probabilities, but there is still no reliable method for predicting an earthquake’s exact time, place and magnitude.

Earthquakes That Changed Iranian Cities

2003 — Bam

The M6.6 Bam earthquake struck before dawn on December 26, 2003. Its size was moderate compared with the world’s largest earthquakes, but the rupture was shallow and close to the city. Traditional earthen construction and vulnerable masonry contributed to widespread collapse. Iran’s Statistical Center later put the death toll at nearly 27,000, although figures published during and after the disaster varied.

The disaster became a defining case in earthquake engineering and recovery. A long-term study of the city found that the earthquake’s consequences continued well beyond reconstruction; the Economic Research Forum reviews Bam’s losses and later economic recovery.

1990 — Rudbar and Manjil

The M7.3 Rudbar earthquake ruptured about 80 kilometres of a left-lateral fault in the western Alborz. It devastated towns and hundreds of villages, triggered landslides and left roughly half a million people homeless. Fatality estimates vary widely, which is why a range is more honest than a single exact number. The Geophysical Journal International reconstruction of the Rudbar earthquake examines the rupture and reports published death estimates ranging from about 13,000 to 40,000.

1978 — Tabas

The M7.4 Tabas earthquake destroyed the oasis city and many surrounding villages on the edge of Iran’s central desert. It remains one of the country’s deadliest modern disasters. Tabas, Rudbar and Bam are examined together in an open-access review of earthquake risk reduction in Iran, which argues that repeatedly identified lessons require sustained action before they become lasting risk reduction.

2017 — Kermanshah and the Iran–Iraq Border

The M7.3 border earthquake caused the most severe losses in Iran’s Kermanshah Province, particularly around Sarpol-e Zahab, and also affected Iraqi Kurdistan. More than 500 people were killed and thousands were injured in Iran. The event demonstrated how a single Zagros rupture can cross political boundaries; NOAA’s significant-earthquake record gives the event data and losses, while ReliefWeb preserves the humanitarian reporting.

2022–2023 — Hormozgan and Khoy Sequences

Southern Hormozgan was hit by closely spaced strong earthquakes in July 2022. The Iranian Seismological Center reported an M6.1 mainshock near Sayeh Khosh, followed by further strong shocks; homes were damaged, roads were affected by rockfall and landslides, and deaths and injuries were reported. The Hormozgan earthquake record on ReliefWeb brings together updates from Iranian and international relief organisations.

Near Khoy in West Azerbaijan, repeated earthquakes from late 2022 into 2023 damaged housing through a cold winter. An M5.9 event on January 28, 2023, followed earlier damaging shocks and was felt beyond Iran. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies records the Khoy earthquake and affected population.

When Construction Determines the Disaster

Magnitude alone does not decide the outcome. A shallow earthquake beneath a town can be far more destructive than a larger but deeper event in a sparsely populated region. Distance from the rupture, local soil, slope stability, building materials, construction quality, occupancy and time of day all matter.

Unreinforced masonry and heavy earthen roofs are especially dangerous when walls are not tied together. Iran has a national seismic design standard, but older buildings, informal construction and uneven enforcement leave a large inherited stock of vulnerable structures. Mountain roads may also be cut by rockfall or landslides, slowing access to remote villages after a strong earthquake.

Preparedness is therefore practical rather than predictive: secure heavy furniture, know safe places away from glass, keep shoes and a torch beside the bed, agree on a family contact plan, and expect aftershocks. During shaking, drop to the floor, cover your head and neck, and hold on. Afterward, avoid visibly damaged buildings and follow local emergency instructions.

The Makran Coast Has a Second Warning

Southeastern Iran faces a different kind of plate boundary. Beneath the Gulf of Oman, the oceanic part of the Arabian Plate descends northward under Eurasia along the Makran subduction zone. Its western section lies offshore from Iran, while the eastern section continues toward Pakistan.

Makran produces fewer conspicuous earthquakes than the Zagros, but that quiet appearance should not be confused with an absence of hazard. Large offshore thrust earthquakes can displace the seabed and generate tsunamis. GFZ’s West Makran project explains the subduction geometry and tsunami potential, while UNESCO identifies the gently dipping Makran boundary as the principal local tsunami source for the Arabian Sea coasts of Iran and Pakistan.

For people on the Gulf of Oman coast, strong or long-lasting shaking is a natural warning. If it is safe to move, go inland or to higher ground without waiting for the water to arrive, then follow official tsunami information. The Persian Gulf side of Iran is much more enclosed; it does not share the same direct exposure to the Makran megathrust.

How Iran Listens to the Ground

The Iranian Seismological Center at the University of Tehran operates the country’s national network and publishes local earthquake solutions. Its stations are organised into regional networks covering many of Iran’s most active areas.

The International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology studies faults, seismic hazard, structures and disaster risk reduction. Strong-motion instruments serve a different but complementary purpose: they record the acceleration that buildings and infrastructure actually experience. The International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks describes Iran’s strong-motion network and its hundreds of field stations.

Why Two Networks May Give One Quake Two Numbers

Early earthquake locations and magnitudes are calculated from the first waveforms to arrive. As more stations report, seismologists refine the epicentre, depth and size. Networks may also use different station sets or magnitude scales. That is why the July 2026 Kermanshah sequence appeared as M5.2, M5.5 or M5.7 in different reports.

These differences are usually small, but the scale is logarithmic. The British Geological Survey explains how earthquakes are detected and measured, including why moment magnitude is preferred for large events. For a current event, it is best to read the magnitude together with its source, review status, depth and time rather than treating a single number as permanent.

🗺️ Related Earthquake Maps

Asia Earthquakes | Pakistan Earthquakes | Hindu Kush Earthquakes | South Asia Earthquakes