Iran (MNN) — If the Iranian regime falls one day, do you know who will be happy? Tens of millions of Iranians.
“Initially, when the attacks took place from Israel bombing Iranian military sites, there was a lot of enthusiasm from among the general public,” says Mike Ansari, the CEO of Heart4Iran.
“The bit of information that did find its way out to our call center and other friends outside of Iran indicated a general sense of anticipation for a new season to be brewed — potentially even a change of regime, as most Iranians were hoping to see.”
(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)
But political change isn’t simple. Ansari says that as Israel-Iran tensions escalated, Iranians realized that there is a leadership gap among the opposition.
“Therefore, the question that was raised is, ‘Well, what happens if there’s a regime change? Who will take over? What would be the outcome?’” he says.
Outside of Iran, Iran’s exiled prince is calling for support for a new Iran. Within Iran, men and women desire peace — with both Israel and America.
“In fact, when you go on the streets and you talk to most people, they’re saying that the war that [the] Iranian government has waged is not their war,” says Ansari.
Yet, Iranians remain under a chokehold. Ansari says banks are shut down and surveillance is at an all-time high. “In the last 10 days, the number of arrests is on [the] rise. Over 20 people have been rounded up, and it appears two people have been executed under the guise of being agents of Israel.”
The next few weeks and months will be especially dangerous for Iran’s growing church.
“Remember, historically, anytime that Iran has gone through a crisis, the demographic of the underground church leaders and members have seen a rise in house raids, arrests, and confiscation of their homes or their belongings,” says Ansari.
Meanwhile, the internet in Iran is down, but satellite feeds remain active. That’s how Heart4Iran continues broadcasting the gospel.
“[There] are a lot of Iranians that are glued to their TV trying to figure out what’s going on, and most of them are hopeless. So we have a unique opportunity to bring the gospel, the message of hope of Christ, to these masses that are hopeless,” says Ansari.
Heart4Iran provides satellite TV to connect Christians to the teaching and fellowship of other believers. (Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran on Facebook)
Pray for both Iran and Israel, that people will recognize the true freedom and life found only in Jesus.
“As we are dealing with Iran and Iranians, and the threat of imminent danger of American targets across Europe and America, please understand that the average Iranians that are in our neighborhood, they are noble people. These are peaceful people. They’re loving people,” says Ansari. “Just because the Iranian government is in a hostile situation, it does not mean that average Iranians are.”
Header photo: An Iranian woman stands at an overlook with a panoramic view of Tehran, Iran. Tehran is the capital of Iran and its largest city, with the greater metro area hosting a population of 15 million. (Photo, caption courtesy of IMB, CC 4.0)
