Israeli airstrikes "completely destroyed" a synagogue in the Iranian capital early Tuesday, according to local media reports.
"According to preliminary information, the Rafi-Nia Synagogue ... was completely destroyed in this morning's attacks," wrote the Shargh newspaper.
Iranian state-run news agency IRNA reported that the bombardment took place at around 4 a.m. (12.30 a.m. GMT), adding that the Israeli Air Force is being held responsible for the attack.
A video from the news agency showed a building almost entirely destroyed in a narrow alley, as well as clean-up work.
According to reports, the synagogue was built in the 20th century and was mainly used by Jews from north-eastern Iran. There was initially no information about casualties.
Shargh called the synagogue "one of the most important places for Khorasan Jews to gather and celebrate."
Judaism is one of Iran's legally recognized minority religions, beside Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity, with each represented in parliament.
There are no publicly available official numbers, but there are thought to be a few thousand Jewish people in Iran, where the Shiite branch of Islam is the state religion.
Israel’s news site ynet reported that Iran has the largest Jewish community in the region outside Israel. In Tehran, there are dozens of synagogues, some of them several hundred years old.
