In a stark reminder of the perilous conditions faced by Jews living under the rule of the ayatollahs, members of the Iranian Jewish community were prominently featured in state-sponsored marches on Revolution Day, where they were filmed delivering statements of allegiance to the Islamic Republic. Iranian state-run media released the footage Thursday morning, with Hebrew subtitles.

The orchestrated display highlights the regime’s ongoing tactic of leveraging its vulnerable Jewish minority to project an image of domestic unity and religious tolerance, while simultaneously producing anti-Western and anti-Israel propaganda.

Video footage from the event shows community representatives holding banners and delivering speeches that closely mirror the hardline rhetoric of the Iranian government. The statements, directed at both domestic audiences and international observers, included effusive praise for the regime and sharp condemnations of its adversaries.

One speaker addressed the cameras to commend the government’s treatment of non-Muslims, stating, “The state’s support for religious minorities has been very good, and we appreciate it.” He further framed the community’s presence at the rally as a geopolitical statement, declaring, “The participation of religious minorities in such marches is also proof of the unity and solidarity of the Iranian people.”

Echoing the aggressive posture of the Iranian leadership, the same speaker added, “The enemy must know, as the leader of the Islamic Revolution said, that our presence in such marches is a strong blow to the enemies of Iran, and especially to America.” He concluded with a warning that “America must understand that the Iranian people, hand in hand, can, through their unity, defeat the strongest forces in the world.”

Another community representative emphasized the historical loyalty of the Jewish population to the Iranian state. “Religious minorities, including Jews, have always stood alongside the majority of the Iranian people, whether before the revolution, during the revolution itself, during the imposed war, in the reconstruction period, or even today,” he stated. He asserted that the community strives “individually and collectively, to contribute to the advancement of the Iranian people and their beloved country.”

Addressing the looming threat of regional conflict, the speaker expressed confidence in the regime’s deterrence, noting, “Despite the threats, I do not believe the enemies will dare to launch an attack considering the strength and unity of the Iranian people.” However, he cautioned that in the event of an escalation, “the incoming missile or bomb will not distinguish between a Muslim, Jewish, Christian, or Zoroastrian home.” He reiterated the message of forced solidarity, saying, “The enemy is an enemy of us all and an enemy of the Iranian people. Therefore, all religions and groups are united and support each other, and I do not believe anyone would hesitate to defend their beloved homeland.”

A third individual explicitly pledged the community’s backing of the country’s supreme leadership. “We, the Jews of Iran, have always supported the government of the Islamic Republic in all stages in our country, and now, in this historic time for our country, we support the government and the leader of the Islamic Revolution,” he said.

International human rights organizations and advocates for global Jewry have long noted that such public declarations by Iranian Jews are made under extreme duress. The Iranian regime, which frequently sponsors virulent anti-Zionism and antisemitism, uses the Jewish community – the largest in the Middle East outside of Israel – as a political pawn. For the Jews remaining in Iran, participation in these public spectacles and the regurgitation of state propaganda is widely understood as a necessary survival mechanism to protect their families, shuls, and communal institutions from government retaliation.