Iran (MNN) — Iran has endured more than 1,000 attacks since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Saturday. Nearly 800 people have lost their lives, according to Tuesday information from the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
The suffering and disruption are grim. But Denise Godwin from International Media Ministries (IMM) says Iranian expatriates are celebrating the fall of the lies that were brought to their nation in 1979: “The lies about their culture, about who they are as people, about religion through the Islamic Revolution, all of that is being cast down,” Godwin says.
“I know from talking to Iranians [that] this is their desire: to have the Persia of the past that had an open door — through the King Cyrus, even going back that far — for you to keep your own religion, to choose, to explore different ways of having a career and doing society together, artistically, musically.”
Centuries ago, ancient Persia was a safe haven for the Jewish people. IMM’s upcoming film series, Esther: Queen of Hope, retells that biblical story with an Iranian cast. Godwin sees the parallels to today’s events — parallels of contrasts, where the government of modern-day Persia is bent on Israel’s destruction.
Yet it’s essential to remember that Iran’s government today is not the same as its people.
“One thing that’s probably very shocking to a Western audience is that Iranian expats are very pro-Israel,” says Godwin. “And they do not understand why the West is so pro-Hamas and Hezbollah and Palestine.”
As the threat of regional war rises in the Middle East, please pray for God’s blessing on His people who are sharing the gospel. Pray that people across the region discover the true hope of Christ.
“Is God going to do a great move, and there’s going to be another wave of revival and change in the world, or is this the end? We don’t know. And yet, there’s amazing opportunities,” says Godwin. “He has his people in place and His ways in place, dreams and visions, and media to reach these people.”
International Media Ministries’ Esther: Queen of Hope is set to be released later this year, pending final fundraising. Pray that Esther and projects like it will bless the Farsi-speaking world with the good news of Jesus.
(Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries via Facebook)
Header photo: Iranians rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, voicing support for the United States and Israel, March 1, 2026 (Photo courtesy of MNN).
