00:16A strong earthquake shakes Iran, and within minutes, social media explodes with a far more alarming claim.
00:24Was this just nature at work, or something far more dangerous?
00:30On February 16, 2026, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake hit Iran's Boucher province, home to the country's
00:40only operational nuclear power plant.
00:45And almost immediately, online speculation took over.
00:50Posts on X, formerly Twitter, began claiming this was not a natural earthquake, but a covert
00:58nuclear test.
00:59Users pointed to the location, the magnitude, and the fact that tremors were felt across
01:05parts of the region.
01:08One post claimed Iran had likely tested a nuclear weapon.
01:12Another highlighted that the quake occurred near the Boucher nuclear facility, fueling
01:19fears of a secret military experiment.
01:23This is not the first time such claims have surfaced.
01:27In October 2024, a smaller earthquake in Iran sparked nearly identical rumors, all of which
01:36were later debunked by scientists and international monitors.
01:41The pattern is familiar.
01:43A seismic event, rising geopolitical tensions, and social media filling the information gap
01:50with fear.
01:54And yes, the timing matters.
01:58Iran is rebuilding key nuclear sites after U.S. and Israeli strikes in 2025, including fortifying
02:07facilities like Natanz and Fordo, deeper underground.
02:11Intelligence reports also suggest Iran possesses highly enriched uranium, up to 60 percent.
02:21Enough that if further processed, could be used for multiple nuclear weapons.
02:27Add to that U.S. military deployments, sharp warnings from Washington, and Iranian threats
02:35of war, and it's easy to see why suspicions spread fast.
02:41But here's what the science actually says.
02:44International monitoring agencies, including the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization
02:52and the U.S. Geological Survey, routinely distinguish earthquakes from nuclear explosions.
03:00Nuclear tests are extremely shallow, usually less than two kilometers deep, and they produce
03:08distinct seismic signatures.
03:10This earthquake originated at a depth between 10 and 18 kilometers, consistent with natural
03:19tectonic activity.
03:21In fact, more than 120 earthquakes were recorded in Iran in the week leading up to this event alone,
03:29and the Boucher Nuclear Plant is designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 9, with no damage
03:37or radiation leaks reported.
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