Earthquakes in Iran Today
Iran is squeezed between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, and the shortening is taken up by the Zagros fold belt in the south-west and by fault systems around the Alborz and Kopet Dag in the north. Shallow crustal earthquakes beneath mud-brick towns, such as Bam in 2003, have made Iran one of the world's deadliest countries for earthquakes.
Danger Level (72h)
72-hour composite hazard forecast
Recent Quakes (30d)
Recorded in the last 30 days
Max Magnitude (30d)
Largest earthquake in the last 30 days
Iran is seismically quiet in our catalogue. The tectonic background below explains why, and what would change it.
Off the coast of Fasa, Iran
9mo ago•10 km•Felt by about 1,124,020 people
Recent earthquakes
20Counts cover the seismic belts this platform monitors in Iran, not its administrative borders. A monitored belt can reach across a border, and events there are listed with the country of their epicentre.
Monitored regions
Volcanoes of Iran
1 dedicated profiles · 1 Holocene volcanoes in total
Tectonic setting
Iran is squeezed between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, and the shortening is taken up by the Zagros fold belt in the south-west and by fault systems around the Alborz and Kopet Dag in the north. Shallow crustal earthquakes beneath mud-brick towns, such as Bam in 2003, have made Iran one of the world's deadliest countries for earthquakes.
Frequently asked questions
How often do earthquakes occur in Iran?
Our catalogue recorded 8 earthquakes across the 1 seismic belts monitored in Iran over the last 30 days, the strongest reaching M5.1.
Why are there so many earthquakes in Iran?
Iran is squeezed between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, and the shortening is taken up by the Zagros fold belt in the south-west and by fault systems around the Alborz and Kopet Dag in the north. Shallow crustal earthquakes beneath mud-brick towns, such as Bam in 2003, have made Iran one of the world's deadliest countries for earthquakes.
What was the strongest earthquake in Iran?
The strongest earthquake in Iran in our historical catalogue is the M7.4 event of June 20, 1990. Death toll: 40,000.
What is the emergency number in Iran?
The emergency number in Iran is 115, answered by Emergency Medical Services (Red Crescent rescue 112, police 110, fire 125). After strong shaking, keep the line free for those trapped or injured and check official channels for aftershock and tsunami advisories.
Who monitors earthquakes in Iran?
The national seismic authority is Iranian Seismological Center, Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran (IRSC). EarthquakeLive cross-checks its bulletins against 18 international networks, so an event may appear here with a slightly different magnitude until the agencies converge on a final solution.