The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused Iran of subjecting its ethnic and religious minorities — including Baloch, Kurdish, Baháʼí, and Ahwazi Arab communities — to “decades of systematic oppression.”
Speaking to a United Nations spokesperson, Israel’s Foreign Minister said these groups have endured “organized repression and violence” at the hands of Iranian authorities.
He cited ongoing patterns of mass arrests, torture, and executions in regions such as Sistan and Balochistan, Iranian Kurdistan, Ahvaz, and areas with significant Baháʼí populations.
The minister urged the international community to recognise what he called Iran’s “longstanding campaign of persecution” against minorities and to hold Tehran accountable for its human rights record.
Human rights groups have also repeatedly raised concerns about the disproportionate use of capital punishment in Iran, particularly against ethnic and religious minorities.
According to independent reports, Kurdish communities in the northwest, Ahwazi Arabs in the southwest, and Baloch populations in the southeast are among those most heavily targeted.
Iran has consistently denied such allegations, calling them “politically motivated” and part of a broader effort to undermine the Islamic Republic.