Iran (MNN) — The United States deported a second flight of Iranians to Iran this week. The first such flight occurred in September under President Donald Trump’s administration as part of the clampdown on illegal immigration. Iranian officials said in September that as many as 400 Iranians could be returned to Iran under this policy.
Transform Iran’s CEO Lana Silk says that for the 55 Iranians deported this week, uncertainty awaits them under the Iranian regime.
“Someone who has chosen to leave Iran and live in another country — particularly an enemy state — for any amount of time will absolutely be under suspicion. You know, ‘Are these people for us or against us?’ The government will be assuming ‘against us,’” she says.
(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)
For any Christian who returns to Iran, the danger goes to another level.
“Christians already in Iran are called Zionists. When a person is identified as a Christian — therefore a Zionist — and that Christian has been living abroad in an enemy state, then that person will be at risk, for sure. Absolutely, they will be incarcerated and very likely at some point executed,” says Silk.
Since Iran’s 12-day war with Israel in June, arrests and executions have sharply increased.
“What ended up happening within Iran’s borders was the unleashing of a very angry, humiliated government that we like to think was weakened, but not really,” says Silk. “[It was] short-term weakened, but strengthened in its resolve and in its anger and rage towards its own people, as well as outside.”
Silk says 2025 has been a year like no other in Iran’s history — but in devastating ways. More conflict is likely ahead.
“Iran’s made no secret of the fact that they are rearming, repositioning themselves for another round,” she says. “There’s a sort of cat-and-mouse game that is happening between Iran and Israel now, and really, we can all expect for some other confrontation to come soon.”
Yet even in the urgent physical, spiritual, and emotional needs facing Iran, Silk points to where hope comes from: God is still on His throne.
“He loves the people of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, all across that region. He has a plan and a purpose to prosper them and not to harm them,” Silk says.
“Let’s be praying with faith. Let’s be praying with hope. We as a ministry do that. We constantly declare the righteousness and the joy and the peace of God, the kingdom of God in Iran. We pray that God would have His way in Iran, that the leaders who are causing such pain and destruction would have Damascus Road encounters and be saved.”
Financial partnership is another way to become part of this work. Learn more about Transform Iran’s calling to reach Iran and how you can support them at transformiran.com.
Header photo: Tafresh, Markazi Province, Iran (Photo courtesy of Mostafa Meraji via Unsplash)
