The authorities had yet to establish if there were any casualties or major damage, IRNA added.

The epicenter of the quake was 15 kilometres (nine miles) northeast of the city of Khoy, bordering Turkey, at 00:42 am (2012 GMT).

On July 11, two successive earthquakes measuring 5.6 and 5.8 killed one person and injured 25 in southern Iran.

Earthquakes are frequent in Iran. Some 950 have hit the country since 1991, killing about 17,600 people and injuring another 53,500, according to figures from IRNA.

TERRA.WIRE