Around 10,000 Jews who remain in Iran are being forced to demonstrate complete loyalty to the regime, cut off contact with relatives in Israel, and avoid any online activity that could raise suspicion, according to Beni Sabti, an Iran researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies.
Speaking with Yaron Schneider on the INSS podcast “Meshadrim: Extra Security,” Sabti said the direct conflict between Israel and Iran has made life for the Jewish community more dangerous and sensitive than ever. He said that during the war, ceremonies praising the Iranian regime were held in synagogues, along with prayers for the success of Iranian missiles and public denunciations of Israel and the United States.
“They must prove their absolute loyalty to the Iranian regime,” Sabti said. “They held many ceremonies praising the Iranian regime and prayers — unbelievably — for the Iranian missiles, along with many curses and condemnations of the State of Israel and the Americans, in order to survive.”
Sabti said Iranian Jews have learned over generations to conceal their true feelings during periods of danger. Many have stopped following relatives in Israel on social media, reduced WhatsApp calls, and asked family members abroad not to contact them. “Not being in contact is a sign of safety,” he explained. “Leave me alone, I will manage. It is better that we not be connected so they do not see our connection.”
Although the Iranian regime publicly distinguishes between Judaism and Zionism and allows the Jewish community to hold a permanent seat in parliament, Sabti said the community is effectively treated as a political bargaining chip. Any contact with relatives in Israel can quickly lead to suspicions of espionage and interrogation by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry.
He pointed to the 1999 arrest of 13 Iranian Jews accused of spying for Israel as an event that remains deeply ingrained in the community’s memory. Some faced severe sentences and were released only after prolonged international pressure, reinforcing the fear that their status can change without warning.
Most of Iran’s remaining Jews live in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz and work in commerce, medicine, engineering, and other professions. Many are reluctant to leave because they are elderly or own homes, clinics, stores, and businesses that cannot easily be transferred abroad. Leaving Iran would mean abandoning a lifetime of property and beginning again in Israel or the United States.
Sabti said the community also retains deep cultural roots in Iran stretching back roughly 2,500 years. Iranian Jews remain attached to the Persian language, food, culture, and cities where their families have lived for generations. At the same time, the prolonged separation from Jewish communities in Israel and the United States has allowed figures associated with Neturei Karta to expand their influence in some synagogues and educational institutions, which the regime uses for propaganda purposes.
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