Published: May 4, 2026 1:58 pm
Author: RT
Marjan Yeshayayi has described the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that damaged a Tehran synagogue
Iranian rescue workers dug through debris by hand to recover religious artifacts from a Tehran synagogue damaged by an Israeli strike last month, Marjan Yeshayayi, a member of the local Jewish community, has told RT.
In an exclusive interview broadcast on Monday, she described her dismay at seeing the site reduced to ruins, with holy Torah scrolls buried under the rubble. She said she had asked rescue workers not to use machinery in order to preserve the scriptures.
”When I made the request, I did not believe they would accept it, but instead they said, ‘OK, we will remove it manually,’ and they really did. Each brick was removed by hand, and the scrolls came out safely and were handed over to the Jewish association,” Yeshayayi recalled.
According to Yeshayayi, the Iranian state protects the rights of the Jewish minority. Under the country’s constitution, Jews are allowed to practice their religion freely, including maintaining synagogues and holding services. Roughly 8,000 Jews live in Iran and worship in dozens of synagogues.
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The Rafi Niya synagogue, located near Palestine Square in central Tehran, was heavily damaged when a nearby residential building was struck by Israeli fighter jets. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later acknowledged the strike, saying it had targeted a senior Iranian commander, and expressed regret over “collateral damage” to the synagogue.
Yeshayayi said three of her friends died in the strike, describing her sadness and anger at the attack.
Watch the interview below.
