Some of the Jews arrested in Iran following the war with Israel have been released on bail in recent days. However, several remain in detention. Estimates suggest that between 20 and 35 Jews were taken into custody across the country.
In response, the Jewish community has called for prayers for their well-being. Community members in Iran said Monday evening, “We see that the prayers are helping—please continue to pray.”
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The arrests followed Israeli and American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Many of those detained were accused of maintaining contact with relatives in Israel. Reports indicate that among the detainees are rabbis and senior figures from the Jewish communities in Tehran and Shiraz.
In recent weeks, Iranian Jews have been living under intense pressure. Despite Tehran’s efforts to portray the community as loyal to the regime, Jews in Iran live under constant surveillance, widespread suspicion, and a persistent atmosphere of fear. Sources close to the community describe a state of existential anxiety: “Anyone can suddenly disappear—from the street or their workplace—simply because of a last name or a past visit to another country.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish representative in Iran’s parliament, continues to voice public support for the Ayatollah regime. In an interview with local media, he said: “Since the beginning of the revolution, the Jewish community’s position has been to condemn the crimes of the Zionist regime, and we have always remained loyal to the regime.”
Sameh denied that any Jews had been arrested: “Since the start of the revolution, no one from the Iranian Jewish community has been detained for spying on behalf of a foreign state.” He added, “The relationship between Zionism and Judaism is entirely separate,” and continued: “We do not recognize Zionism as a religion and compare it to the relationship between the Taliban, ISIS and Islam.”