Starting on 21 September 2022,[3] and progressing into 2023, an earthquake swarm occurred in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan, close to the city of Khoy near the Turkish border.

Due to mainly three events, a total of 3,880 buildings were destroyed and 52,301 others were damaged in Khoy, including nearly 1,000 schools.

[4][5] Iran lies within the complicated zone of continental collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plates, which extends from the Zagros fold and thrust belt in the south to the Caucasus Mountains and the Kopet Dag mountains to the north.

[8] This same setting was responsible for a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in August 2012, killing at least 38 and injuring more than 3,200, 268 of which died later in hospitals.

The earthquakes occurred near the city of Khoy, and started with a magnitude 5.1 foreshock on September 21.

[36] At least 165 people were injured, two houses collapsed, while 78 others were damaged in ten villages near the epicenter and in Khoy and Salmas.