Nine small earthquakes struck the Pardis area east of Tehran overnight, with state media reporting one tremor measured magnitude 4.6. [1, 2, 3]
The tremors were felt near the Mosha fault, one of Iran's most active seismic zones, and did not cause casualties or material damage, according to state media and the reports. [1, 2, 3]
Residents described the shaking as sudden and alarming. Saboor said, "We shook as if we were in a swing," while Sara said, "I was sitting at the kitchen table and suddenly felt as if the chair was being pulled from under me." She added, "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." [4]
Experts and residents said the quakes fed concern that pressure building near Tehran could one day trigger a much larger earthquake. Tehran sits near the North Tehran, Mosha and Rey fault systems and has a population of more than 14 million. The Mosha fault runs about 150 km and lies roughly 40 km from the capital. [1, 3]
Reports differed on the exact center of the shaking. One report said the area was east of Tehran near Damavand, while others identified the affected area as Pardis east of Tehran. [4, 1, 2, 3]
Earlier on 2026-05-12, one report said a small earthquake had already been recorded in the Pardis area near Tehran. [4]
State media said the overnight quakes were felt on 2026-05-13 and did not leave damage, with the strongest reported tremor measured at 4.6 magnitude. [1, 2, 3]
