5.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Asaluyeh in Southern Iran

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Asaluyeh in Iran’s southern Bushehr province on Sunday morning, state media reported. According to the Iranian News Agency (IRNA), the tremor struck at a depth of about 18 kilometers. The epicenter was located roughly 24 kilometers from Asaluyeh, 32 kilometers from Kushknar in Hormozgan province, and 45 kilometers from Galehdar in Fars province. Authorities said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Iran lies in a highly earthquake-prone region and thus it has suffered several deadly earthquakes in recent years. One of the worst disasters in recent history occurred in 2013, when a 6.7-magnitude earthquake devastated the city of Bam, killing at least 34,000 people while in July 2022, a 6.1-magnitude quake struck Hormozgan province along the Persian Gulf coast, leaving at least five people dead and more than 80 injured.