The Jewish community in Iran continues to demonstrate a completely loyal line to Tehran’s official stance. Following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a delegation from the Jewish community in the city of Shiraz took part in the memorial ceremonies and mass funeral processions.
The chairman of the Shiraz Jewish community, Amir Aala Salari, issued an official statement to Iranian media in which he praised Khamenei’s work.
“The late leader showed, from the beginning of the era of the Islamic Republic, a special attitude toward monotheistic religions, and especially toward the Jewish community," Salari claimed.
He also cited the regime’s traditional distinction, originating with Ayatollah Khomeini, that “Judaism is completely separate from Zionism," adding that this view enabled a safe living environment for followers of different religions in the country.
The central and most significant part of Salari’s statement concerned the leadership transition in Tehran. The community leader strongly condemned the circumstances of the late leader’s death, which he described as “a heinous killing by the American-Israeli enemy," and immediately declared the community’s loyalty to his successor - the late leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
It should be noted that Mojtaba Khamenei, who has now taken the reins of leadership, has been seen in public only rarely in recent months, since the start of the military campaign in February.
The declaration of support for him by the head of the Jewish community is seen as part of the obligation on minorities in Iran to demonstrate full solidarity with the new leadership during transitions of power.
To reinforce the community’s patriotism, Salari also referenced the Jewish community’s role in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. According to him, the community contributed to the front and sacrificed for the Iranian homeland, a fact that at the time received recognition and a visit from the leader of the revolution, Khomeini, to the House of Abrahamic Religions memorial - a step intended to demonstrate brotherhood and equality, he said.