Tehran synagogue damaged by missile strike according to Iranian media

TIL there are synagogues and an active jewish presence in Iran. I guess I should have realized it but that definitely contextualizes a lot for me

According to publicly available videos.

Being a jew in Iran is wild, they still have markets where if a vendor sees a jew they will not let them touch the merchandise and if they do they are forced to buy it because the touch is unclean... It's not all sellers mind you but it creates bizarre situations where you can't touch the fruit to test for ripeness but everyone else can. Edit - Source - [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-11-iran-is-imploding-a-conversation-with/id1794590850?i=1000705298652](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-11-iran-is-imploding-a-conversation-with/id1794590850?i=1000705298652) 32 minutes in, Conversation with an Iranian jew, Absolutely fascinating interview in its whole but that's the source from a person who has experienced it and talked to others jews who have also. For more fun facts - Iranian Jews have faced complex and alternating periods of tolerance and severe persecution over their 2,700-year history in Persia. Historically, and in some conservative interpretations of Shi'a Islam, they have been viewed as ritually unclean ( najes). While they are a constitutionally recognized religious minority in modern Iran, they face institutionalized discrimination and, post-1979, live under a regime that tightly controls their public expressions of identity. Historically: **Physical Restrictions:** Under various, particularly Safavid, rulers, these beliefs were codified into discriminatory practices: * **Rain/Snow Regulations:** Jews were sometimes forbidden from leaving their homes on rainy days for fear that the "impurity" would wash off them and onto a Muslim. * **Market Restrictions:** Jews were forbidden from touching produce, fruit, or goods at market stalls, as Muslims would refuse to purchase "contaminated" goods. * **Separation:** Jews were forced to live in segregated parts of town (mahaleh) and often faced violence in the streets, such as being pelted with dirt. * **Social Deference:** Jewish homes and doors were required to be lower than those of Muslims, and they were often forced to wear distinctive clothing or badges. Today: **The "Najes" View Today:** The late Ayatollah Khomeini and some contemporary hardliners have officially referred to non-Muslims as ritually unclean. While this is not always applied in daily life by all Iranians, it constitutes a state-supported framework for discrimination.

Damaged is putting it very lightly

I don't trust anything the Iranian media says. I wouldn't be surprised if the IRGC blew up the synagogue just so they can blame it on Israel.

Again .. p**** trump.. get him out of office

Looks like a false flag. That's how we roll, right?

Well, that headline is certainly not a quiet night at the synagogue. Iranian media reporting the facts, no extra spice needed.

Can't pass up an opportunity to commit antisemitic acts, and blame the country you're at war with!

another friendly fire ?