Tehran:
A strong 5.6 earthquake rocked two cities in western Iran on Wednesday, injuring at least 16 people but causing only minor damage to homes, US and Iranian sources said.
The quake occurred just after 5:00 pm (1330 GMT), with the epicentre 51 kilometres (32 miles) east of Dehloran in Ilam province, close to the border with Iraq, according to the US Geological Survey.
It hit at the relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres.
The Iranian Red Crescent Society gave the injured toll, saying the cities of Dehloran and Abdanan, and a total population area of 65,000, were affected.
"No deaths are reported," it said in an initial statement, classifying damage to houses and residential areas as minor.
But the statement said that, due to cold weather, Abdanan's governor had issued an appeal for tents for families whose homes had been damaged.