Over 700 arrested as regime blames minority communities for Israeli strikes; exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi calls for uprising, denounces persecution of rabbis and families as betrayal of Iran’s legacy; underground defiance grows with pro-Israel graffiti and masked resistance. Beatings and executions are reported.
In the wake of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, Iran’s embattled regime has launched a brutal internal campaign targeting its Jewish community and other minorities, accusing them of collusion with Israel. Over 700 people have reportedly been arrested since June 13, among them rabbis, teachers, and community leaders—many detained in the dead of night, their homes ransacked by security forces. These acts, while alarming on their own, form part of a deeper national crisis now openly denounced by Iran’s exiled Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi.
Mass Arrests and Fears of Execution
Reports emerging from Tehran, Shiraz, and Isfahan describe sweeping arrests of Jewish men—particularly those in leadership positions—under charges of “Zionist collaboration.” In several cases, entire families were taken into custody, with women and children released soon after, while men remain imprisoned. Though no official charges have been made public, the Islamic Revolutionary Court has reportedly fast-tracked a series of cases related to “Israeli influence,” and at least three executions of alleged Mossad collaborators have already taken place this month.
Activists fear more could follow.
“These arrests are not about justice,” said an exiled Iranian dissident now based in London. “They are about vengeance, fear, and distraction. The regime failed to stop Israeli operations inside Iran—and now it’s taking it out on its own Jewish citizens.”
A Shrinking Yet Loyal Community Under Siege
Once numbering over 80,000 before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s Jewish population has declined to an estimated 8,000–10,000 today. Though officially protected by the constitution and granted a reserved seat in parliament, Iranian Jews have long lived under suspicion and scrutiny—pressured to disavow Zionism and affirm loyalty to the Islamic Republic.
Chief Rabbi Yehuda Gerami, who in the past has publicly distanced the Jewish community from Israel, recently reiterated that “Iranian Jews stand in a single front in defense of our homeland.” However, opposition sources insist this statement was coerced, pointing to the regime’s long history of extracting public declarations under duress.
Signs of Defiance: Pro-Israel Graffiti, Underground Resistance
In a dramatic twist, the crackdown has not stifled dissent—it has inflamed it. In multiple cities, including the regime’s ideological stronghold of Qom, Hebrew graffiti and Stars of David have been spray-painted onto mosque walls, government offices, and even Revolutionary Guard billboards. Phrases like “Zion is light” and “Israel will win” have appeared overnight—only to be hastily scrubbed away by security personnel.
Westerners may not easily appreciate the boldness of the above image, but in Iran it is a death-defying act of courage.
The Persian (Farsi) graffiti in the image translates to:
“Reza Shah II + Netanyahu = Freedom of Iran
Sacrificed for the King of Kings”
This is a bold and politically charged message. It links Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (“Reza Shah II”) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as figures who together represent “freedom” for Iran. The phrase “Sacrificed for the King of Kings” refers to loyalty or martyrdom for a monarch—likely invoking Iran’s imperial past and rejecting the current regime.
Such graffiti in the Islamic Republic is considered extremely dangerous, as it combines monarchist and pro-Israel sentiments—both severely punishable under Iranian law.
One video, smuggled out of Shiraz and shared via encrypted channels, shows a masked woman lighting a candle in front of portraits of arrested Jewish men. In a whispered voice, she recites Shema Yisrael, followed by “Am Yisrael Chai.” The footage has since been viewed thousands of times among Iranians abroad and is being hailed as a powerful symbol of solidarity and courage.
Pahlavi: “The Regime Is a Frightened Rat”
Responding to these developments, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi—son of the late Shah and a vocal opponent of the Islamic Republic—issued a stark warning and a rallying cry. In a recent address, he declared: “The Islamic Republic has reached its end and is in the process of collapsing. Its campaign of fear, scapegoating, and bloodshed cannot save it.”
Pahlavi condemned the arrests of Iranian Jews as “a betrayal of Iran’s cultural legacy and a cowardly attempt to silence those who remind us of who we truly are.” He invoked the legacy of Cyrus the Great—the ancient Persian king who famously liberated the Jews from Babylonian captivity—and warned that the current regime was erasing that legacy by targeting one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world.
“Persecuting Jews in the name of Islam is not only inhumane—it is un-Iranian,” Pahlavi said. “Our forefathers stood for freedom of religion and coexistence. Khamenei and his thugs are a blight on that tradition.”
Pahlavi has released a 100-day transition plan to help Iranians envision a post-Islamic Republic future. He has urged civil servants, police officers, and military personnel to refuse orders that target innocent civilians and to join a national movement for democratic reform.
“This Is Not About Israel—It’s About Freedom”
While the regime paints its crackdown as part of a war against foreign infiltration, many Iranians now see the conflict in broader terms. “This is not about Israel,” said a young activist in Mashhad, using a pseudonym. “This is about freedom. About dignity. When you arrest rabbis for existing, you’re admitting your rule is illegitimate.”
Pro-Pahlavi graffiti—sometimes appearing alongside pro-Israel messages—has surged in recent weeks. Slogans such as “Reza Shah Returns” and “Monarchy, Not Mullahs” have appeared in districts across Tehran and Karaj. Though punishable by imprisonment, these acts suggest growing coordination among dissidents from different backgrounds—Persian, Kurdish, Bahai, Jewish, and secular Muslim.
What Comes Next
The regime, rattled by military setbacks and internal dissent, appears poised to escalate. The Revolutionary Guards have requested expanded powers to detain individuals under emergency security laws. Trials may be fast-tracked. Executions may increase.
Yet the crackdown has only sharpened the contrast between the regime’s theocratic cruelty and the vision being offered by its opponents: a pluralistic, democratic Iran that honors its diverse cultural and religious history.
“We are watching the final days of the Islamic Republic,” Pahlavi told supporters in a recent video address. “It is lashing out, but it cannot survive. Not when the people are no longer afraid.”
For Iran’s Jews—many of whom now fear for their lives—the question is whether the world will act in time. With executions underway and roundups expanding, their fate may hang in the balance.
I appteciate the boldness, in The Name of The King of Kings, Lord of Lords Jesus Christ!!!