Iran (MNN) — More than 340 protests have taken place across Iran since December 28, according to U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
On Tuesday, Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, called for Iranians to chant together against the government at precisely 8 p.m. Thursday night and today. It’s no coincidence that on Thursday, online monitoring group NetBlocks reported that Iran fell under a nationwide internet blackout.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in January 2021
(Wikimedia Commons)
As the now 13-day movement develops, taking a look back is helpful. Edwin Abnous with Heart4Iran says, “This wave of protests in late 2025, early 2026 is very different from the ones in 2009, 2017-19 and also the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement [of 2022]. The reason is because it started with a sudden economic shock, and also it spread faster and wider.”
Abnous notes three international factors that have added significance to these latest protests.
“If you look at the backdrop of the military escalation, there’s still a shadow hanging over the region from the 2025 escalation between Israel, Iran, and the United States when they bombed the nuclear facilities,” Abnous says.
Those external threats in June led the Iranian government to tighten security internally, “because the leaders fear that weakness at home may invite aggression abroad.”
A second factor comes from U.S. President Donald Trump’s January 2nd threat of military action if the Iranian regime fired on demonstrators.
“When the United States responds very clearly in support of the protesters, that adds to the value of the movement,” says Abnous. “That is a clear message to the government [of Iran] that this time around, things are different.”
It’s unclear what line will have to be crossed for the U.S. to take any action. On Wednesday, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll in Iran had reached 38.
(Photo courtesy of Denis Oliveira/Heart4Iran)
A third factor Abnous points to in the international environment is the U.S. removal of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, from power. “Venezuela happened to be one of the closest allies to Iran,” he says. “Once that tie between Iran and Venezuela is caught, not only [are] the political ties and Iran’s connection to South America caught, but also the economic exchange between these two countries has [to] stop.”
As the Iranian government cracks down on dissidents, Abnous says that Christians “can easily be painted as Western agents, even when they’re not.” This is especially true for those who have come out of a Muslim background. Practically, this can mean believers face spying, raids, arrests, family pressure, and harsher charges tied to national security.
“The people most at risk are the house church leaders, new believers, and anyone active online or in touch with the Christians abroad,” says Abnous.
Please pray for godly leadership in Iran. Pray for protection and faithful courage for believers, and pray that hope in Christ will spread.
“Many Iranians are already disillusioned with the system, and times like this can quietly open hearts, often in private conversation behind closed doors,” says Abnous.
Learn about Heart4Iran’s gospel ministry at heart4iran.com.
Header photo: On April 7, 2025, FDD and The National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), host a symposium featuring a keynote address by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) followed by an exclusive fireside chat with HIH Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran, and Cliff May, FDD Founder and President. (Photo By FDD – FDD Maximum Support: Operationalizing the Other Iran Policy Event, CC BY-SA 2.0)
