Earthquake hits Iran near nuclear testing site and capital Tehran

The quake has spurred rumours of Republican Guard testing nearby

The epicentre of the quake was reported as being alarmingly close to the country's much spoken about Fordow nuclear enrichment facility in Qom Province, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Furthermore, the medium size quake's centre was around 200km (125 miles) away from the capital Tehran near Semnan, relatively close compared to the total size of Iran.

The quake occurred at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles) and was recorded at approximately 21:19 (18:49 BST) local time, with tremors felt as far away as Tehran, the nation's capital.

Unsurprisingly, speculation has take over social media, especially X and Telegram with one Iranian blogger suggesting that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) might be "testing" something.

These claims, of course, remain unconfirmed and unlikely.

Local Iranian media reported the earthquake as reaching as high as 5.5 magnitude with tremors felt in Tehran, although no damage was caused.

The quake coincided with air strikes launched by Israel as the conflict continues.

The U.S. Geological Survey have reported two smaller earthquakes in recent days, one on 19 June and the other on 17 June, both hitting 4.2 magnitude in different places in the country.