4.6 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Iran, Fuels Speculation of Nuclear Test

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck Iran‘s Semnan province, near Aradan, at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers on October 5, 2024, around 10:45 PM local time. The tremor was felt as far away as Tehran, approximately 110 kilometers from the epicenter.

Following the earthquake, a weaker tremor occurred in Israel, sparking speculation on social media about a possible covert nuclear test by Iran, given the ongoing tensions between the two nations. Users on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) connected the earthquake to Iran’s nuclear capabilities, suggesting a potential underground test due to the earthquake’s proximity to nuclear facilities.

However, experts caution against jumping to conclusions, noting that while underground nuclear tests can cause seismic activity, the earthquake’s relatively low magnitude and depth do not definitively indicate a nuclear detonation.

The earthquake coincided with heightened conflict between Israel and Iran-backed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Following recent attacks, Israel has conducted extensive airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon, while Hezbollah retaliated with rocket attacks on Israel, intensifying fears of a broader regional conflict amid growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.