Iraq records 35+ earthquakes in December 2025

Shafaq News– Baghdad

Iraq recorded 38 earthquakes in December 2025, most of them concentrated in the country’s northern and northeastern regions, according to the Meteorological and Seismology Organization.

In a statement, Ali Abdul Khaliq, director of the Seismic Monitoring Department, said that 16 tremors were recorded inside Iraq, while 22 occurred outside the country but near its borders.

Of the external earthquakes, 11 were recorded in Iran, mainly in the provinces of Kermanshah, Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, and Ilam. Ten tremors were detected in Turkiye, particularly in Van, Sirnak, and Bitlis regions near the Iraqi border, while one earthquake was recorded in Syria’s Hasakah province. The earthquakes ranged in magnitude from 1.1 to 4.5, with focal depths between 9 and 39 kilometers.

Within Iraq, seismic activity was most pronounced in Diyala, where four earthquakes were recorded in the areas of Khanaqin, Baladruz, and Kifri. Nineveh also saw four tremors, affecting Tal Afar, Mosul, and Tel Kaif.

In Al-Sulaymaniyah, including the city center and Rania, three earthquakes were registered, while Erbil recorded three tremors in the Mergasur and Soran districts. Kirkuk saw two earthquakes during the month.

Abdul Khaliq noted the absence of seismic activity in western and southwestern Iraq, a pattern he said reflects the movement of the Arabian tectonic plate and Iraq’s location on its northeastern edge, where seismic activity increases toward continental collision zones in the north and northeast.

He added that no real-time earthquake alerts were issued during December and that no human or material losses were reported as a result of the recorded seismic activity.

Read more: Discover the Iraqi cities most vulnerable to earthquakes