Iranian Jewish Community Faces Escalating Persecution Amid 2026 Unrest

Since the intensification of protests in Iran beginning January 2026, the country's Jewish community, one of the oldest in the Middle East with about 20,000 members, has experienced increasing persecution by the ruling regime. Approximately 20 Iranian Jews, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisal, have reported attacks including vandalism of Jewish-owned shops in Tehran and other cities. One shop owner, Jalil, described his store being vandalized twice with anti-Zionist graffiti, attributing the acts to regime-affiliated activists rather than local neighbors, who have traditionally treated Jewish business owners respectfully.

In another incident, a jewelry store was raided by Basij militia members who stole gold and threatened the owner’s family. Community members feel targeted by the regime as a proxy for its inability to strike Israel or the US directly. Economic pressure is also mounting, with at least five Jews reporting job dismissals over the past year. For example, a man named Yaakov was interrogated by the internal security unit "Herasat," pressured to post anti-Israel content online, and subsequently lost his job and ability to work as a driver on a local app.

Jewish children in state schools are forced to participate in pro-regime demonstrations, including burning Israeli flags and chanting slogans. Roya, a mother, recounted her ten-year-old son being beaten by a teacher for not loudly joining these activities. Online surveillance and intimidation are also prevalent; the Jewish parliamentary representative Homayoun Samah urged community members to avoid engaging with Israeli Persian-language channels to avoid suspicion. A student named Pari was expelled from university after being accused of following opposition websites, despite internet outages preventing her from removing such activity.

Under severe pressure, one of Iran’s rabbis publicly condemned Israeli military actions and expressed support for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, statements community members say were made under duress. The community remains deeply fearful, recalling the 1979 execution of Habib Elkanian, a prominent Jewish leader accused of Zionist ties, as a traumatic warning. Many Jews feel torn between a leadership compelled to show loyalty to the regime and a pervasive sense of abandonment amid ongoing persecution.