Earthquake Strikes Iran Concurrently with Presidential Elections

The National Seismology Center at the University of Tehran announced that a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck the northern and central regions of Ardabil Province in northwest Iran this morning, Friday. The earthquake occurred at 7:13 AM local time, with its epicenter located 10 kilometers beneath the surface in the city of "Kermi," about 110 kilometers north of Ardabil Province. Residents in several cities of the province felt the tremors caused by the earthquake. Meanwhile, the Iranian presidential elections began this morning, with four candidates competing: Saeed Jalili, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi.