Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Tehran targeted by US, Israeli strikes

The St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in Tehran sustained damage during US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, a cathedral cleric told TASS.

St. Nicholas Cathedral in Tehran is a Russian Orthodox church founded in 1945 by Russian emigrants who fled the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and settled in Iran, with financial support from the refugee community.

The building reflects mid‑20th‑century architecture and marked a revival of Russian Orthodox presence in Tehran after many earlier parishes declined or closed.

Over the decades, the cathedral’s administration shifted; after an abandonment period in the late 20th century, it was incorporated into the Moscow Patriarchate at the request of parishioners in 1995.

By Jeyhun Aghazada