.. afternoon, according to seismologists. Number of casulaties, if any, has not been reported.
The earthquake is recorded on U.S. government site as 5.6 magnitude, although some news reports claim it was 5.7. Allahu Alim, which is correct.
Time of earthquake is recorded as 6:20 PM local time.
It was centered about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from a city named Torbat-e Heydarieh, located in the country's Razavi Khorasan province. It struck about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) deep, a quite shallow earthquake, according Iranian Seismological Center.
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The USGS estimated that around 164,000 people likely perceived 'very strong' shaking as a result of the earthquake, which could potentially result in moderate to heavy damage. "Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist," it said.
The agency further estimated that around 50,000 people likely perceived strong shaking, while around 4.5 million others likely perceived light to moderate shaking.
It was not immediately clear if there was any damage or if there were any casualties from the earthquake, but small and moderate earthquakes sometimes cause heavy damage in certain parts of the country due to poor construction.
In November 2009, a light 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, injuring more than 700 people.
And in 2003, at least 25,000 people where killed when a 6.7 earthquake struck near Bam in Kerman province of southeastern Iran.
