Iran nuclear test: Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, an earthquake in northwestern Iran on Friday stirred speculations that the Islamic Republic may have conducted an underground nuclear test which caused the seismic event in the region.
Where did Iran earthquake hit?
According to reports, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck Tasuj, near Tabriz in northwestern Iran on early Friday, triggering panic among locals who ran out of their homes looking for shelter as the ground shook beneath their feet.
No casualties or any substantial damage was caused due to the earthquake, Iranian state media reported.
Did Iran conduct a nuclear test?
The earthquake hit amid renewed hostilities between Tehran and Washington as Iranian missiles forced a US warship to turn back when it was trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz, which is under an IRGC blockade since the Iran war erupted on February 28th.
While there is no concrete evidence that Iran conducted a nuclear test, experts observed that low-intensity tremors, like the one witnessed in Tabriz, could be caused by a controlled, underground nuclear blast.
Trump asserts US-Iran ceasefire still operational
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has asserted that the ceasefire with Iran remains operational, despite recent military engagements between the two sides in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, while cautioning that any termination of the truce would be unmistakably apparent.
Addressing media during an unannounced visit to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Thursday (local time), Trump remarked on the visibility of any potential escalation. “You won’t have to know if there’s no ceasefire,” Trump stated. “You’ll just have to look at one big glow coming out of Iran.”
Moderate intensity quake strikes Tibet
In related news, an earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck Tibet in the early hours of Friday. According to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the tremor occurred at 3:10 am IST on May 8 at a depth of 38 kilometres.
The earthquake was recorded at a latitude of 35.385 North and a longitude of 85.112 East in Tibet, the NCS said. “EQ of M: 4.1, On: 08/05/2026 03:10:17 IST, Lat: 35.385 N, Long: 85.112 E, Depth: 38 Km, Location: Tibet,” NCS posted on X.
