TEHRAN (Realist English). Iran has sharply intensified pressure on religious minorities following the end of its brief summer war with Israel, according to a new report by the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI). The report, Faith Under Siege, details a broad domestic crackdown in which Christians, Jews and Baha’is have been disproportionately targeted under sweeping national security charges.
After the 12-day conflict ended in June, Iranian authorities declared victory and unity, but quickly redirected the security apparatus inward. Officials claimed to have arrested at least 21,000 alleged “traitors” in the following months. While journalists, activists and ordinary citizens were detained in large numbers, the report finds that religious minorities were singled out, often on the basis of belief alone.
Christians — particularly converts from Islam — have faced the most visible escalation. Since the war, at least 50–54 Christians have been arrested, with more than 40 still in detention at the time of publication. Charges included hosting house churches, owning Bibles in Persian, celebrating Christian holidays and participating in online religious courses. In several cases, private prayer meetings were treated as national security offenses.
Iran’s Jewish community, now reduced to about 9,000 people from more than 120,000 before 1979, has also come under increased scrutiny. At least 35 Jewish citizens were arrested on espionage-related charges, some over past travel to Israel or social media activity deemed sympathetic to the country. Executions for alleged “spying for Israel” have increased, which analysts cited in the report describe as intended primarily to deter dissent rather than expose real intelligence networks.
The most systematic repression continues to affect the Baha’i community, Iran’s largest non-Muslim minority, numbering roughly 300,000. According to the report, nighttime raids, enforced disappearances and crippling bail demands have intensified since the war. Properties have been confiscated, businesses shut down and long prison sentences imposed on non-violent charges framed as threats to national security.
Across all groups, detainees were often held without warrants, denied access to lawyers and subjected to prolonged solitary confinement. The report documents allegations of torture, forced confessions and intimidation of family members. NUFDI argues that these practices meet several criteria for crimes against humanity under international law, notably persecution and enforced disappearance.
The authors conclude that the war with Israel acted as an accelerant rather than a cause of repression, enabling authorities to revive and expand long-standing policies against religious minorities. While the conflict itself lasted less than two weeks, its domestic consequences, the report warns, are likely to endure as regional tensions remain high.
