Iranian Jewish community leaders are reacting with anger after reports that a Shul in central Tehran was damaged — and possibly destroyed — during Israeli airstrikes, with claims that Sifrei Torah are now buried beneath the rubble.

According to Iranian state media, the Rafi Niya Shul sustained significant damage after a nearby building was targeted in the Israeli strikes. The blast reportedly caused widespread destruction in surrounding structures, including the shul itself.

Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, lashed out at Israel and the United States, claiming the attack caused devastating damage to one of the community’s most historic sites.

“Our Sifrei Torah are under the rubble. The Zionist regime did not spare even the synagogue,” Sameh said, according to Iranian media.

He added, “Unfortunately, during this attack, the Shul building was completely destroyed and our Torah scrolls remained under the ruins. This will cause distress to the Jewish community.”

Sameh further accused Israel of targeting not only Muslims but also other religious communities, stating: “The Zionist regime, with its cruel ambitions, has not spared not only the Muslim community but also communities of other religions, including the Jewish community.”

Rabbi Younes Hammami Lalezar, leader of Iran’s Jewish community, was filmed standing before the ruins of the shul.

Notably, Iran allowed the footage of this incident to be released, unlike footage of the tens of thousands of other airstrikes on the country in the past 5 weeks. The Internet remains 100% shut in Iran unless it’s for propaganda purposes.

However, Israeli officials say the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. An internal report from Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry notes that there are conflicting accounts as to whether the synagogue was damaged or completely destroyed.

The report indicates that while several sources — primarily Iranian — support claims of damage, there has been no independent verification that the site was intentionally targeted.

The Associated Press cited Iranian media reports and published footage from the scene showing rescuers moving through debris, with what appeared to be sifrei torah visible among the rubble.

Israeli officials say the Foreign Ministry is reviewing the reports, while the IDF has not yet issued an official comment.

Preliminary assessments suggest the shul may have been caught in the blast radius of a strike aimed at an adjacent structure, rather than being directly targeted.

Analysts cited in the Israeli report also cautioned that Iranian officials’ claims that Israel deliberately struck a shul have not been independently verified, raising the possibility the incident is being used for propaganda purposes.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)