Iran detains Jewish community members over protest suspicions

Iranian authorities have detained several members of the country’s Jewish community under claims linked to recent protests. 

However, sources close to Iran’s Jewish community said the detainees did not join the demonstrations, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

The sources did not provide details on the number of people arrested or their identities.

Arrests have been carried out across Iran since protests erupted late last year, which were met with a harsh response from security forces.

Iran is home to an estimated 8,000–10,000 Jews, making it the Middle East’s second-largest Jewish population after Israel.

Mass protests erupted across Iran in late December 2025, initially fueled by worsening economic conditions, including soaring inflation, a collapsing rial, and rising prices of essentials. They began with shop closures and strikes in Tehran and quickly spread nationwide.

While the unrest started as an economic protest, it soon gained a political dimension, with demonstrators chanting anti-regime slogans and calling for major governmental change.

The protests have become the deadliest in Iran since the 1979 revolution, causing thousands of deaths, widespread arrests, and raising global concern over human rights abuses.

By Jeyhun Aghazada