Tehran synagogue was damaged in airstrikes, Israel’s Diaspora Ministry says
The Rafi Niya synagogue in central Tehran has sustained significant damage following a series of airstrikes that Iranian state media attributed to Israeli fighter jets, according to reports.
There are conflicting reports as to whether the synagogue was damaged or completely destroyed, Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry says.
According to reports from the state-run IRNA news agency, a “significant part” of the Jewish house of worship was destroyed in the attack, the ministry said in an internal report. However, local sources and preliminary analysis suggest the synagogue may have been caught in the blast radius of a strike aimed at an adjacent building.
Visual documentation from the scene showed rescuers working through piles of rubble and debris, with photographs capturing scattered religious books and damaged interior fixtures. AP News confirmed the reports of damage, citing footage that aligns with Iranian accounts of the destruction, the ministry notes.
The ministry says that analysts note that the framing of the event by Iranian officials — asserting that Israel “deliberately attacked” a religious site — has not been independently verified. Some have suggested the reports are being used for propaganda purposes, it adds.
