Double crisis: 4.4 magnitude earthquake hits Iran amid US-Israeli airstrikes

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 has struck the Gerash region in Iran with 10.0 km depth on Tuesday (March 3). The calamity hit the country which is already in the midst of conflict. The US-Israel joint military operation has already caused damage to both military facilities and civilians living in the region. Bombardment is seen and heard in the Middle East due to the escalating situation.

There were no immediate reports of significant damage or casualties following the tremor, which occurred amid heightened security concerns across the Islamic Republic. The seismic event coincided with a fresh exchange of sharply conflicting statements between Iran and the United States over alleged retaliatory strikes in recent days.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that hundreds of American personnel had been killed or wounded during the first two days of what it described as retaliation against US positions in the region. An IRGC spokesperson said as many as 650 US soldiers were casualties, including 160 in attacks targeting American bases in Bahrain.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command Commander Charles Bradford Cooper II sends out a letter to the troops. At a time when the Middle East is in a turbulent situation, the letter read: “To America's extraordinary sons and daughters deployed around the Middle East, by order of the President of the United States, we are embarking on a mission of profound consequence. The time for preparation is over. The time for action has arrived.”