Mysterious Earthquake Hits Iran
- 8.10.2024, 14:57
Has Tehran tested a nuclear bomb?
An earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale was recorded by seismologists in the Iranian province of Semnan on October 5. However, the fact that the earthquake occurred amid an escalation of the conflict with Israel, as well as the specifics of the epicenter of the tremors, gave rise to a wave of speculation about their man-made nature. A number of military observers have suggested that Iran could have conducted its first nuclear bomb test.
A tremor measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale was recorded on Saturday, October 5, in Araden, in the northern Iranian province of Semnan, as reported by the Mehr News Agency.
According to the Institute of Geophysics of the University of Tehran, the epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 12 kilometers. The tremors were felt as far away as the capital Tehran, about 110 km from the epicenter, according to a statement from the US Geological Survey. Experts have not reported anything about the nature of the tremors.
However, amid much speculation, seismograms of the current “mysterious earthquake” and seismograms recorded during nuclear tests in various countries have appeared on social networks, compared to earthquakes that occurred in these regions. The authors of the publications (who, however, are not professional seismographers or nuclear experts) note a noticeable difference between the seismogram of the tremors in Iran and seismograms of other earthquakes and point out its similarity to the vibrations created by the explosion of an atomic bomb.
Supporters of the nuclear test version point out that some of Iran’s nuclear facilities, for example, in Natanz, are located deep underground, so the possibility of conducting underground tests is theoretically possible. However, skeptics point out that containing an underground explosion without causing destruction on the surface is “too difficult a task.”
As NDTV noted, what is particularly worrisome about all these events is the timing of the earthquake. While such natural seismic events are not uncommon in the Middle East, the recent escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel amid military conflict in Gaza and Lebanon has only fueled speculation about Tehran’s nuclear tests.
For example, the Jagran newspaper, citing a recent statement by a senior Iranian lawmaker, reported that Iran is ready to test its own nuclear bomb within a week of receiving the order from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Israel Threatens to Bomb Iran's “Nuclear Facilities”
In an earlier interview, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak also said that the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which the Israeli leadership recently threatened Tehran with in the event of an escalation of the conflict, may not work. According to Barak, Iran's nuclear program is already “at a very advanced stage”.