Since regional tensions escalated and internal protests intensified in Iran, the country's Jewish community - one of the oldest in the Middle East - has come under increasing attack from the regime.
The community, now numbering only about 20,000 people, is living under what members describe as a campaign of state intimidation, extortion, and humiliation.
The information surfaced following an investigation published by the Jewish Chronicle and based on testimony from approximately 20 Iranian Jews who spoke anonymously out of fear for their lives.
Community members described a situation in which the regime, unable to strike Israel or the United States directly, has instead turned its anger toward Iran's Jewish citizens, who have little means of defending themselves.
Jalil, a shop owner in central Tehran, said his business was vandalized twice in recent months. Its windows were smashed, and the words, "Zionists, get out of here," were spray-painted on the walls.
According to Jalil, those responsible were activists affiliated with the IRGC, and his Muslim neighbors had always treated him with respect.
In another incident, members of the Basij militia allegedly raided a jewelry store, taking gold and other valuables while telling the frightened owner that the property constituted "spoils of war."
The pressure has also extended to employment and the economy, with reports of a wave of arbitrary dismissals and extortion by security agencies. Yaakov (a pseudonym) said he worked for more than two decades at a financial institution before being summoned for questioning by the internal security unit known as "Herasat."
During the interrogation, he said investigators showed him photographs of Israeli citizens whose surnames are similar to his. The investigators then demanded that he publish anti-Israel content on social media. After he refused, saying he did not engage in politics, he was immediately fired and later prevented from earning a living as a driver on a local ride-hailing app.
Schools and the online sphere have also become targets of pressure. Jewish children attending state schools are regularly taken to pro-regime rallies, where they are forced to burn Israeli flags and chant anti-Israel slogans.
Rouya, also a pseudonym, said her 10-year-old son was beaten by a teacher after he failed to shout the anti-Israel slogans in a loud enough voice. Online, the pressure has become so intense that the Jewish community's representative in parliament reportedly urged members to unfollow Israeli channels and delete "unusual" comments. According to the report, university students have been expelled based solely due to their history of browsing on international websites.
In light of this, and following direct pressure on community leaders, one of Iran's rabbis was forced to make public statements condemning Israel and expressing support for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Members of the community stressed that such statements were made under duress and said they oppose the regime just as many other Iranian citizens do.
Looming over the community is the memory of Habib Elghanian, the former leader of Iran's Jewish community, who was executed in 1979 after being accused of ties to Zionism: For roughly half of those interviewed, his execution remains a stark reminder of what could happen if conditions continue to deteriorate.