Overview
- Iranian outlets say the Rafi-Nia synagogue in central Tehran was “completely destroyed” after an adjacent residential building was hit in overnight strikes Tuesday, with video showing rubble and Hebrew prayer books.
- There was no immediate report of casualties at the synagogue, while local outlets counted more than a dozen deaths from the wider overnight strikes across Iran.
- Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, said Torah scrolls remain under the debris, and community leader Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar visited the scene.
- Israeli officials say they do not target houses of worship and describe the campaign as precision strikes on terror sites, and independent verification of the damage or intent has not been established.
- Iranian media describe the synagogue as a key gathering place for Tehran’s Khorasan Jewish community during Passover, heightening concern for Iran’s small Jewish minority that is recognized under Iranian law.