Iran says US-Israeli strike flattened Tehran synagogue, desecrated Torah scrolls

US-Israeli strikes flattened Rafieinia Synagogue in the Iranian capital Tehran and "desecrated Torah scrolls," Iran said on Tuesday, describing the attack as a "despicable crime." "This despicable war crime was committed during the Jewish holidays, as Homayoun Sameyah, the representative of Iran's Jewish community in the Parliament, reported," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

Iranian unity

The attack is "abhorred by all Iranians," he said. "Iranians are united & resolved in defending their homeland." Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said the synagogue has served as "a house of worship for Iranian Jews for many decades." "It was destroyed today in an attack carried out by the Israeli criminals," he added on X.

Targeting religious sites

The strike on a Jewish house of worship during Passover comes amid escalating US-Israeli attacks on Iranian infrastructure. Iran has a historically significant Jewish community, one of the oldest in the Middle East, and the government has generally protected Jewish religious sites since the 1979 revolution.

Conflict context

Regional escalations have continued since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Trump's Tuesday evening deadline for a deal has passed without a reported agreement.