Series of quakes up to 4.6 mag hit near Tehran

A series of small earthquakes, including one measured at magnitude 4.6, struck the Pardis area east of Tehran, Iran, overnight Tuesday, Iranian state media reported. The strongest tremor occurred just before midnight local time, at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which recorded it at magnitude 4.3. The shaking was felt in nearby Karaj, about 40 kilometers west of the capital, but authorities reported no casualties or damage.

Iran's Mehr news agency detailed nine tremors over the course of the night in eastern Tehran province, an area close to the Mosha fault, one of the country's most active seismic zones. The fault stretches about 150 kilometers and lies roughly 40 kilometers from Tehran. While such activity is common in the region, multiple quakes in quick succession are less frequent, prompting assessments from seismic experts.

Seismologist Mehdi Zare told Mehr it remained unclear whether the tremors signaled a release of built-up energy along the fault system, potentially lowering future risks, or served as precursors to stronger activity. "Tehran's vulnerability is amplified not only by active fault lines but also by dense...