The St. Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Tehran has sustained damage following airstrikes targeting the former United States embassy building in the Iranian capital.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Hegumen Varlaam (Dulsky), the rector of the cathedral, provided details of the incident to TASS. According to the clergyman, the blast waves from the strikes caused significant structural impact on the religious site.
On April 1, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that the US military conducted strikes on the premises of the former US diplomatic mission in Tehran. At least two missiles reportedly struck the former embassy grounds, located approximately 150 meters from the St. Nicholas Cathedral. As a result of the proximity of the explosions, the cathedral's entrance doors and windows were damaged, and the ceilings of several auxiliary buildings on the church territory collapsed.
The St. Nicholas Cathedral, built in the 1940s, serves as a primary place of worship for the Russian Orthodox community in Iran and is a significant architectural landmark in Tehran. This incident occurs amid heightened regional tensions, where diplomatic and historical sites often find themselves in close proximity to areas of military activity. The cathedral had previously undergone various restorations to preserve its historical integrity within the Iranian capital.
