Earthquake in Dimona.. Did Israel conduct a nuclear test before the war with Iran?

A strong earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale struck the Negev Desert in southern Israel yesterday, Thursday, causing sirens to blare in various areas and sparking widespread online speculation about the possibility of Israel conducting a secret nuclear test.

Did Israel conduct a nuclear test before the war with Iran? 

The earthquake occurred amidst a nationwide school emergency drill, and during one of the most tense periods in years between Israel, Iran, and the United States.

Residents felt the ground shake for several seconds in northern areas reaching central Israel and even beyond occupied Jerusalem, and social media quickly filled with questions.

One X user wondered if the 3.9-magnitude earthquake near Dimona meant that Israel had just conducted a nuclear test. American fighter Jake Shields claimed that the timing and location, near the secret Dimona nuclear facility, seemed like a deliberate signal, and perhaps even a warning directed at US President Donald Trump to intervene in a war against Iran.

The uproar increased because the earthquake's strength and short duration reminded some of the feeling of low-to-medium yield underground nuclear explosions, and this event came just hours after Trump backed down from his earlier threats to strike Iran.

Jordan also felt it

The director of the Jordanian Seismological Observatory, Ghassan Sweidan, reported yesterday, Thursday, that an earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was felt by residents of several areas in Jordan, including the governorates of Amman and Balqa, this Thursday morning at 10:00 AM.

Sweidan explained, in press statements, that the epicenter of the tremor was in the Dead Sea region north of Ghor as-Safi at a depth of 17 kilometers, without recording any additional details.

Sweidan indicated that this type of earthquake does not pose a danger to buildings or facilities, noting that Jordan recorded 106 earthquakes within its borders and neighboring areas last year. 

He affirmed that the areas of Aqaba, Wadi Araba, the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley, and Tiberias are historically among the most seismically active areas, considering that the current situation is not out of the ordinary.