An earthquake ripped across northern Iran on Friday, prompting speculation about what it may mean in the midst of heavy bombing by Israel that has entered its eighth day.
A 5.2 magnitude quake was recorded near Semnan, according to Iranian state media. The city and province, both of the same name, sit roughly three hours east of Tehran.
The Daily Wire’s Kassy Akiva notes that the location is significant because Semnan is home to the Semnan Missile Complex, one of Iran’s largest ballistic testing grounds for much of the arsenal that has been fired at Israel in counterstrikes since last week.
The U.S. Geological Survey also reported 4.2 magnitude earthquakes in Riyush and Faryab, and a 5.1 magnitude quake in Sorkheh.
The Semnan province also houses the Semnan Space Center, which serves as the primary launch point for Iran’s space program.
Critics of the country’s government, including the National Council of Resistance of Iran, have accused Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei of weaponizing the space port for military purposes, citing the alleged proliferation of nuclear weapons, which are at the center of a simmering dispute with Israel.
The Jewish nation launched a preemptive attack last week, decimating the Iranian air