Iranian Jews face threat of arrest and persecution despite loyalty to the regime

Iranian Jews who communicated with relatives in Israel have been imprisoned, extensively interrogated and had their electronic equipment confiscated.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Despite the loyalty Jewish lawmakers and clergy express for the regime, the Jewish community in Iran is increasingly facing scrutiny, arrest, and persecution.

In the wake of the ceasefire with Israel, following a 12-day war that caused extensive damage to Iran’s military infrastructure and nuclear facilities, the ayatollah regime has enforced a reign of terror to hunt down suspected spies.

On Wednesday, Iran executed three people and arrested 700 on suspicion of having spied for Israel.

Iranian Jews are facing particular scrutiny, with many arrested on suspicion of espionage based only on past trips to Israel, something forbidden by the Iranian regime.

Iranian Jews who communicated with relatives in Israel, even if only digitally through social media and WhatsApp, have been imprisoned, extensively interrogated and had their electronic equipment confiscated.

The Jewish community in Iran has not reported how many Jews have been arrested by the regime.

The actions taken against the Jewish population persist despite prominent voices declaring loyalty to the Islamic Republic and encouraging followers to do the same.

Following the US strikes against three nuclear facilities in Iran, Dr. Homayoun Sameh, an Iranian Jewish lawmaker, on Sunday warned Jews in the Islamic Republic to avoid celebrations, including private ones, the Israeli Ynet news outlet reported.

Sameh, who frequently expresses anti-Zionist views, issued a stern warning to his brethren, even though Israel and the US struck only military targets and not civilian sites.

“In these sensitive times, refrain from holding any kind of celebration, even in private homes or kindergartens,” he wrote. “I strongly advise you to take this final warning very seriously.”

He specifically prohibited “bar mitzvahs, weddings, family gatherings, and festive events,” whether at home or in educational institutions.

The Chief Rabbi Yehuda Gerami declared that Iran’s Jewish community “stands in a single front in defense of our homeland” and viewed the Iranian regime as “indivisible from our own identity,” according to Iranian state media.