Baha’i Community Targeted in Sweeping Iranian Security Raids Following Ceasefire

Iranian authorities have begun a sweeping crackdown on members of the Baha’i religious minority.

Since the June 24 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, dozens of Baha’i homes have been targeted in co-ordinated raids carried out by armed intelligence agents, often in the early hours of the morning.

Families in cities across the Islamic Republic have reported masked officers entering their bedrooms, seizing electronic devices, religious texts and personal belongings.

In some cases, parents and children have been detained and taken to undisclosed locations. Religious materials – including prayer books and writings of the Baha’i faith – are being treated as contraband.

Shia Islam is Iran’s official religion. The constitution recognises some minority faiths like Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, but not the Baha’i faith, a relatively new religion that was founded in 19th-century Persia, which is now Iran.

Despite having no political organization or ties to foreign powers, its members are frequently accused of espionage or propaganda activities against the regime.

Since the ceasefire began, authorities have arrested more than 700 people on espionage accusations with at least six already executed by hanging.

But for the Baha’i community, this is more than just a crackdown – it is the latest step in a 46-year effort to eradicate them.