Video shows 2021 Iran earthquake, not nuclear testing

A video is being shared widely on social media with claims it shows recent tremors in Iran and suggests they were caused by a nuclear weapons test.  

The clip shows large vehicles shaking at the side of a road before panning to dust clouds rising from mountains in the distance. 

One post sharing the video says: “Iran has been saying for weeks that they have a surprise up their sleeve. In Iran this morning, the ground literally started shaking, and centuries of dust began to rise from mountain tops. Only two things can cause the earth to shake like this. One is an earthquake. The other is an underground nuclear weapons test.” 

Several other posts share the video with a similar caption, while some posts add “there have been no reported earthquakes in Iran”, suggesting the tremors were therefore caused by a nuclear weapon test. 

However, this is not a recent video from Iran. The video was shared by several news outlets reporting on two earthquakes in Iran in late 2021 in which at least one person was killed. Videos reportedly circulated at the time showing parts of the Geno Mountain in Bandar Abbas collapsing. 

The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre recorded two earthquakes of magnitude 6 and 6.3 (although one was recorded at 6.4 by the US Geological Survey) in the Hormozgan Province in southern Iran on 14 November 2021. Earthquakes are relatively common in Iran due to the country’s location above several tectonic plates. There’s no evidence to suggest these earthquakes were not natural.  

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO) works to detect any nuclear explosion around the world (underground, underwater or in the atmosphere) by monitoring and analysing seismic activity, sound waves in the oceans, ultra-low-frequency soundwaves, and radioactive particles in the atmosphere. 

Full Fact could not find any records from the CTBTO of a suspected nuclear test in Iran in 2021, and have contacted the organisation for comment. We will update this article if we receive a response. 

Similar claims about nuclear testing were reportedly made online after an earthquake in Iran’s Semnan province in October 2024. An Iranian media organisation, Nour News, which is affiliated to the Supreme National Security Council, reportedly said these were “rumours” and that nuclear testing contradicted Iran’s nuclear and defence doctrine.

The CTBTO analysed data from 25 stations, and confirmed the tremors in October 2024 were consistent with previous earthquakes in the region.

Full Fact has written about many examples of footage supposedly of natural disasters being shared with incorrect captions. It’s important to consider whether videos show what they claim to be before sharing them—our guide on verifying misleading videos may help you do this. 

Does Iran have nuclear weapons?

Iran has rejected claims it intends to build nuclear weapons and maintains that its nuclear programme is for non-military purposes. 

However, it was reported in June 2024 that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium had grown to 30 times the level permitted under the Iran nuclear deal, which was a 2015 agreement to limit the country’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. The stockpile was estimated in September 2024 to be almost enough to build four nuclear explosive devices if the uranium was enriched to the 90% needed for weapons. 

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that the stockpile is at levels unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons programme, and that there’s no credible civilian justification for this.