5.5-magnitude quake rattles northern Iran amid Israel war

Iranian authorities have confirmed that a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck near the city of Sorkheh in Semnan Province late Friday evening. The tremor occurred at 9:19 PM local time on June 20.

According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the quake struck at a moderately shallow depth of 35 km beneath the epicentre near Semnan.

The earthquakes come as Iran remains on alert due to its escalating conflict with Israel, following a series of tit-for-tat military strikes and cyber operations. The conflict has also led to the mobilisation of Iranian military units in several regions, including areas near the quake zone.