TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — A community music academy in the Iranian capital has been completely destroyed in a United States and Israeli airstrike, highlighting what observers describe as a deliberate assault on the country’s cultural life and civilian spaces.
The Honiak Music Academy, founded just two years ago by musician Hamidreza Afarideh and his wife Sheida Ebadatdoust, had become a vibrant hub for more than 250 students, ranging from young children to elderly learners. The school offered training in traditional instruments and served as a rare creative refuge in a city now engulfed by war.
On March 23, a joint US-Israeli strike hit the building housing the academy, located in eastern Tehran near a military site. While no students were present at the time due to prior safety closures, the facility was completely devastated, along with nearby civilian establishments, including a maternity clinic.
Egypt Independent quoted Afarideh as describing the destruction as total. He said years of effort and personal investment had been erased overnight, leaving nothing behind.
The academy’s instruments, recording equipment, and specialized soundproofing infrastructure were all reduced to rubble.
The couple rushed to the site after alarms were triggered but were met with thick smoke and widespread destruction. After authorities secured the area, they navigated collapsing stairways to reach the fourth-floor unit, only to find the space entirely obliterated.
Fragments of traditional instruments were later recovered from the debris, but much of the academy’s equipment had been destroyed beyond recognition. According to Afarideh, the force of the explosion was so severe that it appeared as though the school had never existed.
Israeli forces claimed the strike targeted a nearby intelligence facility, asserting that the anticipated military advantage outweighed the damage to surrounding structures.
However, independent observers argue that repeated strikes on civilian areas, including educational and cultural institutions, reveal a broader pattern of Israel’s targeting Iran’s societal fabric.
Analysts say such attacks go beyond military objectives, aiming to dismantle cultural identity by destroying places tied to art, education, and community life.
Iran, widely recognized for its rich artistic and musical heritage spanning thousands of years, now faces what many describe as an existential threat to its cultural continuity.
The academy had also employed around two dozen teachers and staff, many of whom are now without income amid worsening economic conditions exacerbated by the war.
Afarideh reminisced that the school had been more than just a learning center, describing it as a second home for students who found comfort and belonging there. Its loss, he said, has left a deep emotional void for the community.
Rebuilding remains uncertain. The couple estimates financial losses of around $42,000, a significant amount in a country already grappling with inflation and economic strain. They are seeking support from cultural organizations and authorities but acknowledge that recovery may take considerable time.
As the conflict intensifies, critics warn that continued United States and Israeli strikes are systematically eroding not only infrastructure but also the cultural and human foundations of Iranian society, with civilians bearing the heaviest burden.