US and Israeli strikes on Iran overnight have resulted in the complete destruction of the Rafi-Nia Synagogue in central Tehran, according to Iranian media reports. The Shargh newspaper reported on Tuesday that the synagogue was destroyed when an adjacent residential building was targeted, with preliminary information indicating the total collapse of the religious site.

Footage showed civil defense workers amid the rubble, with Hebrew-language books scattered on the ground. The report noted that due to the narrow streets surrounding the attacked building, the exterior and interior of nearby structures were also "severely damaged," but there was no immediate casualty count available.

In a video published by Iran's official IRIB News outlet on Telegram, Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish representative in the country's Islamic Consultative Assembly, stated, "The Zionist regime showed no mercy to this community during the Jewish holidays and targeted one of our ancient and holy synagogues." He added, "Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed and our Torah scrolls were left under the rubble."

Judaism is one of Iran's legally recognized minority religions, and the country hosts a small Jewish community, though many members fled after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. No official numbers are publicly available, but it is estimated that a few thousand Jewish people remain in Iran. Shargh described the synagogue as "one of the most important places for Khorasan Jews to gather and celebrate," referring to Iran's northeastern province.

The strikes were part of a series of US-Israeli attacks overnight, with local media reporting at least 15 people killed across Iran. Mehr news agency reported that six bodies were recovered from under the rubble of buildings in the city of Pardis, east of Tehran, while local officials said nine people were killed in an Israeli air attack on a residential neighborhood in Shahriar, west of Tehran province.

Source: www.aljazeera.com