Earthquake Shakes Tehran, Where Nerves Are Already Strained by Iran War

An earthquake on Tuesday shook Tehran, a city on edge after months of war, with residents across the metropolis saying the ground jolted and rolled around midnight.

Tehran, the sprawling capital of Iran with almost 10 million residents, sits on or near several major fault lines and is occasionally hit by earthquakes. Though the earthquake was moderate in magnitude and no casualties or major damage have been reported, it still shocked many of the city’s residents. “We shook as if we were in a swing,” said Saboor, a Tehran resident, who asked that only his last name be used out of fear of retribution.

State media put the tremor at magnitude 4.6, about 10 kilometers deep, while the U.S. Geological Survey registered it as 4.3, and the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre at 4.5. Earthquakes in that range can damage buildings that are not up to advanced standards. Iran’s state television said two aftershocks were registered at magnitudes of 4 and 3.4 in the same area.

Morteza Rezaei, the deputy head of Red Crescent for Tehran province, told state television that no casualties or major damage had been reported so far, but rescue teams within the epicenter’s radius were dispatched and placed on high alert.

“We have had no reports of damage and destruction and no roadblocks in the areas,” said Mr. Rezaei. “I recommend people remain calm if something unfortunate happens,” adding they should call emergency rescue numbers for help.

Iranian media reported that the earthquake’s epicenter was at the border of Tehran and Mazandaran provinces, east of the capital, and said the ground shook for 10 seconds. The U.S.G.S. said the tremor was centered near the city of Damavand.

Earlier on Tuesday, a small earthquake was reported in the Pardis area near Tehran. State media said the towns in the immediate vicinity of the earthquake, around midnight, were Pardis, Bumhen, Rudehehn and the cities of Tehran and Karaj.

In the northeastern part of the city, Ali, a resident of the area, said that when the earthquake hit, many of his neighbors had rushed to the street in their pajamas, carrying their blankets. State media also said in the Pardis area, near the epicenter, residents had evacuated their homes and taken shelter in their cars and in parks.

Pictures and videos on state television from Pardis showed families with children sleeping on blankets on the side of the road and several people praying. There was also bumper-to-bumper traffic as people took to their cars.

Earlier in the evening, a strong storm ripped through Tehran with wind gusts of around 35 miles per hour, injuring 17 people, according to the city’s emergency management center.

Residents said their nerves were already frayed as they are hanging in limbo of neither peace nor all-out war, wondering if a tenuous cease-fire will collapse and the United States and Israel will strike again.

Sara, a 54-year-old resident of Tehran, said her apartment tower in northern Tehran swayed, and she panicked.

“I was sitting at the kitchen table and suddenly felt as if the chair was being pulled from under me,” she said in a voice message from Tehran. “I thought, ‘I’m having a dizzy spell’ then noticed the chandeliers swinging. I thought it was an attack — earthquake was the last thing on our minds.”

Some Iranians with internet access posted on social media that the jolts reminded them of the war and rattled their nerves.

“When the earthquake hit, I jumped off the bed and ran into the hallway. Then I remembered that was for the war,” said Elham Nazari in a social media post about what to do in case of an attack.

Rozhin Razavi contributed reporting.