Old, unrelated earthquake video shared as recent tremor in Iran

What's the claim?

A 40-second video has gone viral on social media, claiming to show footage from a recent earthquake in Iran. The video comprises three parked trucks shaking on the side of a highway, with a man pointing toward sand visibly flying over a mountainous region in the background. 

On November 3, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit Garmsar, Iran, causing infrastructure damage and power outages. According to Iran Front Page, emergency teams were deployed, and residents were advised to follow safety protocols.

In this context, the video surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) with captions questioning whether the earthquake was natural, with some speculating that it was the result of a possible Iranian nuclear test. The video was shared with captions such as, "JUST IN: Earthquakes in Iran as trucks shake on the side of the road and dust rises from the mountains. Nuke tests?" Archives of the posts can be found here and here.

This video was also shared on Facebook with similar claims, and the archived versions of the posts can be seen here, here, and here.

Screenshots of X posts. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, this viral video actually dates back to a 2021 earthquake in southern Iran that killed one person and is unrelated to the recent tremor. 

What we found

A reverse image search led us to the exact video titled "Strong earthquake strikes southern Iran, killing at least one." The video was originally uploaded on the YouTube channel- 'TRT World Now' on November 14, 2021. According to the video description, the footage shows the aftermath of a powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake near Bandar Abbas, as recorded by the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.

Further, CNN published a similar report on November 15, 2021, including the viral visuals of the trucks shaking and dust rising in the distant mountains. The report added that the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed this earthquake had a magnitude of 6.3 with a depth of 10 kilometers.

Screenshot of the CNN report. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

2021 earthquakes in Iran

Iran experienced several significant earthquakes in 2021, starting with a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the town of Sisakht on February 17.  This earthquake injured over 60 people and caused substantial damage across the area. 

Later that year, on November 14, two powerful earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.4 and 6.3 struck Hormozgan Province. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded these quakes at magnitudes of 6.0 and 6.3.

Speculations of a nuclear test in 2024

In May 2024, Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated that while Iran has not decided to pursue nuclear weapons, a shift in its military doctrine could become necessary if the nation's existence were threatened. According to Euro News, implementing such a change would require amending the Supreme Leader's fatwa against nuclear arms.

On October 5, 2024, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake struck Iran's Semnan Province, sparking online speculation about whether the tremor was natural or linked to a covert nuclear test. The quake's timing, amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel, led to rumors that it could have been Iran's first underground nuclear test, potentially as a deterrent against regional threats, NDTV reported.

Addressing the speculations about nuclear testing, NourNews, a media outlet linked to Iran's National Security Council, posted on X (archived here) on October 7, 2024, denying the rumors. It said, "Suspicious rumors by foreign media on #Iran conducting its first #nuclear_test are entirely false and contradict Iran's nuclear, defense doctrine. Such actions are aimed at strengthening #Israel, #U.S. Iranophobia strategy."

The verdict

An old video from 2021 showing three parked trucks shaking on the side of a highway has been incorrectly linked to the recent tremor in Iran.