The earthquake coincided with escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, a conflict that began on June 13. Israeli strikes have targeted several critical Iranian facilities, including the nuclear sites at Natanz,

In 2017, a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Iran’s mountainous western region near the Iraqi border, killing more than 530 people and injuring thousands. Across the border in Iraq’s northern Kurdish region, the quake left nine dead and over 550 injured.