Tehran faces “major” earthquake threat, official warns

Shafaq News/ Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization has warned that the capital could experience a "major earthquake" with significant risks.

Ali Nasiri, the head of the organization, stated that "tectonic plates in the northern part of the capital could trigger a large earthquake, and due to their proximity to vulnerable areas, they pose an even greater risk,” adding, "The worst-case scenario Tehran could face is a 6.7 magnitude earthquake.”

"We hope it never happens."

Notably, Iran is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world due to its position on the Alpine-Himalayan belt. The primary cause of earthquakes in the country is the pressure exerted by the Arabian plate on the Iranian plateau.

The Iranian capital is located on two major fault lines. While the northern fault is more active, the deteriorating and unsafe infrastructure in the southern part of the city makes an earthquake there pose an even greater threat to Tehran’s residents.

History shows that, on average, a major earthquake (greater than 5.5 on the Richter scale) occurs in Tehran every 160 years. The country experiences occasional earthquakes of varying intensities, the most powerful of which was a 7.7 magnitude quake in northwestern Iran in 1990, killing 37,000 people and injuring 100,000 others.