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Aryan Society News Agency reports that following regional tensions escalation, at least 35 Jewish citizens living in Tehran and Shiraz were summoned to security centers and interrogated since Monday morning, June 22. The officers’ main questions focused on these individuals’ family connections with relatives in Israel, and they were asked to refrain from phone or internet contact abroad for now.
This event occurred while official Islamic Republic authorities have consistently emphasized respecting equal rights of religious minorities, including the Jewish community. However, informed sources report an unprecedented increase in pressure on this group, unlike anything seen in recent years.
Legal precedents have also fueled these pressures. According to a law passed in November 2011, any travel to Israel is considered a crime, punishable by imprisonment and passport confiscation. This issue has become a new source of concern due to the family ties many Iranian Jews have with their relatives in Israel.
In response to these summons, the Tehran Jewish Association has not issued an official statement, but a senior member, speaking anonymously, said the scale of the summons is unprecedented and has caused deep concern about the psychological and social security of the Jewish community.
While security and judicial officials have not provided any explanation for these actions, some families say officers have tried to create a reassuring atmosphere, claiming the interrogations aim solely at “prevention.” However, legal experts have warned about religious discrimination and the conflict of these actions with Iran’s human rights commitments.
According to unofficial estimates, the Jewish population in Iran is less than ten thousand. Many of them maintain contact with their relatives in Israel after widespread migrations, and the new pressures have affected these family connections more than before.