TEHRAN – A Jewish synagogue in central Tehran was targeted in a devastating attack on Tuesday, nearly 40 days into the joint war between the United States and Israel against Iran.
The Rafi Near Synagogue, located near Palestine Square in central Tehran, was destroyed in an attack on an adjacent residential building, according to reporters at the scene. This attack on Jewish holy sites drew intense condemnation. Officials and regional leaders say this highlights the hostility of the United States and Israel toward Iranians, regardless of ethnicity or religion.
The Iranian Jewish Association issued a statement condemning the “heinous” attack. “Following the Zionist regime’s relentless attacks on our beloved homeland, the Rafiniya Synagogue, one of the oldest and still active synagogues in Tehran, was completely destroyed by the attacks of America’s and Zionist enemies, once again demonstrating the hostility of the American and Zionist regime’s rulers towards the Iranian people, regardless of ethnicity or religion.”
The association emphasized its solidarity with the broader Iranian people, saying, “While condemning the heinous attack by our American Zionist enemies on our beloved homeland and the Rafinia Synagogue, the Jewish community of Iran affirms its historic solidarity with its leaders, the Iranian people, and the brave defenders of our country. We declare with a loud and clear voice that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our people and the Islamic Republic of Iran in defending our homeland.”
American journalist Max Blumenthal: “Zionism seeks to destabilize the last major Jewish community in areas beyond its control.”
Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, criticized Israel for targeting the building during the holy period, telling state broadcaster IRIB: “The Zionist regime (Israel) shows no mercy to this community during a Jewish holiday and attacked one of our ancient and sacred synagogues… Unfortunately, in this attack the synagogue building was completely destroyed and the Torah scrolls remain under the rubble.”
American journalist and documentary filmmaker Max Blumenthal added an international perspective, highlighting the geopolitical implications of the attack on X. “Iran’s Jews were safe…until the US-Israeli terrorist coalition bombed them. Zionism seeks to destabilize the last major Jewish community in the region outside its control and force its members to migrate to the hateful, hyper-militarized peripheries of ‘Israel’.”
Iran’s Culture Minister Seyyed Abbas Salehi also addressed the attack on X, emphasizing its far-reaching impact on Iranian society, saying, “The damage and destruction of the Jewish synagogue in central Tehran is painful and extremely tragic. American and Zionist warmongers target Iran’s religious sites and civilizational heritage. For them, there is no distinction between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. They target Iranians. Iran will endure, but it will not endure.”Finally. ”
Iran’s Jewish population is the oldest in the world and one of the largest in the Middle East outside of Israel, and continues to live and worship openly, with its own synagogues, schools, community institutions, and designated representatives in Iran’s parliament.
In this context, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref emphasized the historical coexistence of Iran’s diverse religious communities.
“For centuries, Iran has been a safe place where church bells have rang with the call of Muslims and Jewish prayers have been heard. The attacks on synagogues in Tehran and churches in Isfahan are not attacks on one religion, but on the heart of Iran and our tradition of tolerance. I am convinced that the deep bonds that bind this country’s ethnic and religious communities cannot be severed by such a heinous crime,” Aref said.
The ongoing war between the United States and Israel against Iran, which began on February 28, has killed more than 2,000 people and targeted hospitals, schools and other civilian facilities.