Under land 49 kilometer from Kahrīz in Iran, a shallow and significant M5.2 earthquake occurred in the morning of Monday July 20th, 2026. Another country near the epicenter is Iraq.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Iran, 49 kilometer (30 mi) west of Kahrīz in Kermānshāh. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jul 20, 2026 07:18 (Tehran Time) - Jul 20, 2026 03:48 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 49 km west of Kahrīz, Kermānshāh, Iran. Coordinates 34°33'8"N 46°33'28"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 21 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.068 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Iran and Iraq .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Javānrūd in Kermānshāh, Iran. Javānrūd is located 27 kilometer (17 mi) south of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Baghdad is located 240 km to the southwest. Kahrīz is located 49 km to the east. Kermanshah is located 54 km to the south-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 27 km (17 mi) N from epicenter |
Javānrūd Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 44 km (27 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kāmyārān Kordestān, Iran. |
| 49 km (30 mi) E from epicenter |
Kahrīz Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 54 km (34 mi) SE from epicenter |
Kermanshah Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 58 km (36 mi) N from epicenter |
Pāveh Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 64 km (40 mi) W from epicenter |
Sarpol-e Z̄ahāb Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 87 km (54 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ḩalabja Halabja Governorate, Iraq. |
| 94 km (58 mi) NE from epicenter |
Sanandaj Kordestān, Iran. |
| 99 km (62 mi) E from epicenter |
Harsīn Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 99 km (62 mi) E from epicenter |
Sonqor Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 102 km (63 mi) S from epicenter |
Īlām Ilam Province, Iran. |
| 113 km (70 mi) N from epicenter |
Marīvān Kordestān, Iran. |
| 128 km (80 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mandalī Diyālá, Iraq. |
| 129 km (80 mi) E from epicenter |
Kangāvar Kermānshāh, Iran. |
| 131 km (81 mi) NW from epicenter |
Baynjiwayn Halabja Governorate, Iraq. |
| 133 km (83 mi) NE from epicenter |
Qorveh Kordestān, Iran. |
| 140 km (87 mi) E from epicenter |
Nūrābād Lorestan Province, Iran. |
| 145 km (90 mi) E from epicenter |
Asadābād Hamadān, Iran. |
| 147 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
Kifrī Diyālá, Iraq. |
| 149 km (93 mi) SE from epicenter |
Kūhdasht Lorestan Province, Iran. |
| 152 km (94 mi) NW from epicenter |
As Sulaymānīyah Halabja Governorate, Iraq. |
| 162 km (101 mi) SW from epicenter |
Al Miqdādīyah Diyālá, Iraq. |
| 171 km (106 mi) E from epicenter |
Nahāvand Hamadān, Iran. |
| 172 km (107 mi) N from epicenter |
Bāneh Kordestān, Iran. |
| 174 km (108 mi) SE from epicenter |
Darreh Shahr Ilam Province, Iran. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bījār Kordestān, Iran. |
| 174 km (108 mi) SE from epicenter |
Aleshtar Lorestan Province, Iran. |
| 177 km (110 mi) E from epicenter |
Bahār Hamadān, Iran. |
| 177 km (110 mi) E from epicenter |
Pasragad Branch Hamadān, Iran. |
| 180 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Ţūz Khūrmātū Salah ad Din, Iraq. |
| 181 km (112 mi) E from epicenter |
Hamadān Hamadān, Iran. |
| 186 km (116 mi) E from epicenter |
Āzādshahr Hamadān, Iran. |
| 191 km (119 mi) N from epicenter |
Saqqez Kordestān, Iran. |
| 191 km (119 mi) NW from epicenter |
Jamjamāl Halabja Governorate, Iraq. |
| 200 km (124 mi) SW from epicenter |
Baqubah Diyālá, Iraq. |
| 204 km (127 mi) SW from epicenter |
Khāliş Diyālá, Iraq. |
| 204 km (127 mi) SE from epicenter |
Khorramabad Lorestan Province, Iran. |
| 209 km (130 mi) E from epicenter |
Malāyer Hamadān, Iran. |
| 214 km (133 mi) E from epicenter |
Borūjerd Lorestan Province, Iran. |
| 221 km (137 mi) N from epicenter |
Būkān West Azerbaijan, Iran. |
| 222 km (138 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kirkuk Kirkuk, Iraq. |
| 233 km (145 mi) S from epicenter |
‘Alī al Gharbī Maysan, Iraq. |
| 237 km (147 mi) S from epicenter |
Al Kūt Wāsiţ, Iraq. |
| 240 km (149 mi) SW from epicenter |
Baghdad Baghdad, Iraq. |
| 248 km (154 mi) W from epicenter |
Sāmarrā’ Salah ad Din, Iraq. |
| 257 km (160 mi) N from epicenter |
Mahābād West Azerbaijan, Iran. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SW from epicenter |
Abū Ghurayb Baghdad, Iraq. |
| 272 km (169 mi) N from epicenter |
Mīāndoāb West Azerbaijan, Iran. |
| 288 km (179 mi) SW from epicenter |
Al Musayyib Bābil, Iraq. |
| 289 km (180 mi) SW from epicenter |
Al Fallūjah Al Anbar, Iraq. |
| 293 km (182 mi) E from epicenter |
Arāk Markazi, Iran. |
| 294 km (183 mi) NE from epicenter |
Zanjān Zanjan, Iran. |
| 294 km (183 mi) NW from epicenter |
Erbil Arbīl, Iraq. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in Iran.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Bakhtaran, Kermānshāh, Iran: 1 person.
- Ecbatana, Hamadān, Iran: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. Roughly 6 mins before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.9 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
6 mins earlier Jul 20, 2026 07:13 (Tehran Time) | 4 km (2.7 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Jul 20, 2026 07:18 (Tehran Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).This is the strongest earthquake in 5 years
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 6th, 2021, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 134 km (83 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on November 12th, 2017.
In total, 14 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 9 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 21/07/26 06:38 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000t1vq
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260720_0000066
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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