A newly released video depicts Molotov cocktails being thrown on the ancient mausoleum of Esther and Mordechai in Hamadan during the early hours of Tuesday, a key archaeological site in both Jewish and Christian history.
The assailants used incendiary materials, causing a fire at the tomb complex, raising concerns about the safety of not only the historic sites but the country’s Jewish community, the largest in the Middle East outside Israel amidst the world’s worst antisemitism since the Holocaust. Around 10,000 Jews remain in Iran, one of the most ancient communities in Jewish heritage. They have long lived under the pressure of Iran’s shadow war with Israel, the world’s only Jewish state and archenemy of Iran.
The governor of Hamadan claimed that through surveillance footage, the perpetrators have been identified though it remains unclear who was behind the attack.
The tomb of Esther and Mordechai holds significant religious and cultural importance, being the burial place of the Jewish wife of King Xerxes and a key pilgrimage site for Jews and Christians both within Iran and around the world. It is registered as one of Iran's cultural heritage sites.
Social media has been abuzz with various interpretations of the attack. Many users speculate that the Iranian regime and its supporters may be behind the incident, viewing it as a form of retaliation for recent tensions with Israel including an alleged strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
Some have taken a sarcastic tone, mocking the incident as the "tough revenge" for the consulate attack. They have criticized the destruction of national heritage as a misguided attempt by the regime to express anger towards Israel.
Pyongyang has transferred ballistic missiles and other weapons to Russia, while Iran has also provided Moscow with the supply of Shahed suicide drones, frequently used to attack Ukrainian infrastructure.
In return, Russia has provided technology and supplies that help expand missile and nuclear capabilities of its allies.
Iran has provided well over 1,000 drones since mid-2022, that are often used to swamp Ukrainian air defenses during large-scale missile attacks on civilian targets.
Western powers are increasingly concerned Tehran could soon also transfer ballistic missiles to Russia.
"Russia's friends in Asia are vital for continuing this war of aggression," Stoltenberg said as ministers met in Brussels.
China was also "propping up Russia's war economy," he said.
"This has regional and global security consequences," Stoltenberg said, adding that the ministers would discuss how to handle the issue.
In February, Reuters reported that Iran has provided Russia with a large number of powerful surface-to-surface ballistic missiles, citing six sources, in a sign of deepening military ties between the two US.-sanctioned countries.
While Washington and other Western officials have repeatedly warned Iran against providing such weaponry to Russia, they have not confirmed that Moscow has taken delivery of the missiles.
Both the G7 and the European Council have said that such a step would lead to major consequences in its relations with Tehran and said third parties who provide weapons could also face further measures.
European diplomats have said potential measures on Iran could include targeting Iran Air, banks in Europe and even the possibility of reimposing UN Security Council sanctions as part of a nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.
NEW IRAN SANCTIONS?
According to five European diplomats, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Netherlands, the Baltic States, Czech Republic, Denmark and Romania sent a letter on February 19 to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell asking for new EU-wide sanctions on Iran.
The new measures would be two-pronged. Further sanctions would target Iran's support of Russia, but there would also be new measures focused on Iranian individuals and companies that arm, finance and train proxies in the Middle East as well as possible sanctions on the groups themselves, the diplomats said.
Initial discussions have taken place at EU level, but some of the 27-member states remain opposed.
According to the diplomats, Borrell responded cautiously to the ministers saying there was an existing legal basis for measures against Islamist militant group Hamas.
He also warned that any new sanctions should be carefully considered to ensure they were legally sound, but also avoided harming its activities in the region, notably in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, for which the EU is a facilitator.
However, these talks have made no progress since they began in April 2021. Iran has in the meantime accelerated its uranium enrichment, stockpiling enough fissile material for at least three nuclear bombs.
"There is a rather clear triangle with Russia, Iran and North Korea. Both Iran and North Korea supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia, which is then using these weapons and ammunition to try to destroy Ukraine. So that is a very real cooperation, which is a great concern to everyone" Latvia's Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins.
(With reporting by Reuters)