One recent development comes from Yemen, where the Iran-backed Houthis have threatened to blockade Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea shipping route. (For more on the Houthi-Saudi dynamics, find our recent report here.)

Other layers continue to surface as Iran makes retaliatory strikes on Arab nations that host US military bases. Not only has Iran targeted US assets but it has also damaged civilian infrastructure, such as a desalination plant in Kuwait this week.

(Stock photo courtesy of user named mana5280 via Unsplash)

And within Iran, the US has continued nightly strikes for two weeks on military targets. According to Iran’s Health Ministry on July 18, at least 50 people have been killed in Iran by US strikes since July 6. The US has disclosed the deaths of only two US service members since July 6, with one reported mission in action.  

In all these complexities and others, Lana Silk with Transform Iran says, “It’s very tempting to try to put things in neat boxes and ‘take camp’ and say, ‘There’s no other way to look at the situation.’” 

Instead, she says we need to make space to understand the subtleties involved in the conflict. That can grow with patience, prayer, observation, and by seeking to understand history and the bigger picture. 

Although the war is unpopular with some in the United States, Silk says it would be bad for Iran and long-term bad for the world if the US backs down now against the Iranian regime. 

“I’m absolutely convinced of it. To leave the regime as it is now… Yes, it is weakened. Yes, there are factions, but it is not a new regime, and it is not changed in its objectives and its resolve,” says Silk. 

“All we would be doing would be giving them the opportunity to strengthen themselves, lash out at their own people, and then later on lash out at the West.”

Strategic prayers start from the top down

If you’re not already doing so, please pray for wisdom for Western leaders. “We do welcome intervention,” says Silk, “but God give them wisdom in how they do it. This is not an easy path for anyone.”

Praying for leaders in the conflict should include those in Israel, says Silk. “They’re right now a little more [in the] backseat, but they’re very much in this game.”

Within Iran, there are different ways to pray for God to move. Silk says to pray for Damascus Road conversions among Iranian leaders. Pray in line with verses from Psalm 10 that the Islamic government would experience further fractures.

Security forces open fire on street protestors in Iran, January 2026. (Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

Pray also for the Iranian people, who are experiencing great pressure and increasingly brutal treatment from the regime. In Transform Iran’s response to the US-Iran tensions, Silk says their highest priorities are the spiritual and physical welfare of the people.

“Whether it’s pastoral care, trauma counseling, or practical aid, what can we be doing to get alongside the people in Iran?” she says. “There are real daily struggles for people. How do they feed their kids? How do they cover the medical needs of their loved ones? How do they pay their rent? Pray that God would cut through all of that, reveal Himself, and give them the hope that is lasting in this really difficult time for them.”

Transform Iran regularly hears stories about God at work among individual people in Iran.

“We have to remember God sees every single person where they are at, and He’s meeting them. The Word of God tells us that if we seek Him, we will find Him,” says Silk. “When they [Iranians] are pursuing that kind of clarity of truth and wanting to please God, oftentimes God is revealing Himself to them.” 

Find out more about Transform Iran’s multifaceted media and ministry work here.

A woman from Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Milad Fakurian via Unsplash)

Header photo of men in Iran is a stock photo courtesy of Parastoo Maleki via Unsplash.

“Many of the deceased are being buried in unmarked, mass graves because they haven’t been identified for any family member,” says Annabel Torrealba, the International Director of Latin America and the Caribbean Hispanic Ministry for TWR. 

Torrealba says their local team, RTM Venezuela, is persevering despite power outages.

Venezuela earthquake damage (Photo courtesy of Gerson Hernandez, TWR listener)

“Most of the time, they have to use a generator to keep the computers and lights on. But it works with gasoline, and it’s hard to find gasoline, also,” she says. 

“We have sessions of two hours to record programs and do some interviews with people that are in those places. Because our goal is to let the audience know what is happening and how they can help.” 

The team even risks working in their damaged office on the eighth floor in order to keep recording special programs for Venezuelans.

“There isn’t any other way. You have to go and do something,” says Torrealba. “It seems some walls are damaged, and the roof has some damage also, but they don’t think that [they] can fall.” They are waiting for the authorities to officially inspect the building, but there is a long list of other buildings that need the same attention. 

Authorities say that more than 17,900 people lost their homes in the earthquakes. Torrealba says many of RTM Venezuela’s listeners come from an area where the quakes hit hard. These Christians are rallying to help others in need. The gospel is making an impact, she says.  

“We notice that many of the people that are helping in the area [and] from the area are believers,” she says. Meanwhile, “those that refused to believe before this tragedy, most of them are thanking God because they are alive. And all others are trying to look for ways to connect with God.”

People are asking for Bibles, which RTM Venezuela’s team does not have access to yet. 

“But we have devotional books. They are giving away those devotional books to different churches that are going to those shelters,” says Torrealba. 

The Church in Venezuela is actively responding to the needs. Torrealba says the team interviewed one leader over multiple churches in Venezuela

“He told us that the response of churches across Venezuela has been immense, with support pouring in from every corner of the country,” says Torrealba. “He emphasized that the primary focus right now is delivering vital spiritual and psychological support to survivors.”

Pastors ask for prayer for God to give them energy and strength as churches help with the emotionally taxing work of recovery.

“It’s hard to describe, and you are broken too because you are suffering just looking at the devastation there. They are asking for supernatural strength,” says Torrealba. 

“Pray for those working in the front lines, including helpers in hospitals, shelter volunteers, and those carrying out the heavy task of recovering bodies. Most of them are working with their own hands, trying to remove the rubble and trying to reach out to bodies, and without any protection.”

(Photo courtesy Radio Trans Mundial de Venezuela)

July 24 is normally a holiday in Venezuela, as they commemorate Simón Bolívar, the country’s liberator. 

“Nobody is thinking about those celebrations or [taking] time off or anything. They just want to get their family members out of the rubble,” says Torrealba. “Pray for them.”

Pray also for government authorities in Venezuela to make right decisions that help the people to rebuild the country.

Learn more about RTM Venezuela here. 

Header photo: Caracas, 2024 (Stock Photo courtesy of Bona Lee via Unsplash)

Venezuela (MNN) — The death toll from Venezuela’s twin June 24 earthquakes rose to more than 1,700 people on Monday. Although rescue stories continue, hope for finding more people alive is dwindling. 

Ethan Forhetz with Convoy of Hope says their team is moving food and water in for survivors and rescuers, with other resources on the way. 

“People are still scared to go back into buildings, because aftershocks are happening all the time. They don’t know just how weakened their building has become where they’re living, so a lot of people are living and sleeping in cars and out on streets. So we’re going to be working on tenting to help them,” he says. 

Since the two June 24 earthquakes, there have been more than 600 aftershocks. That includes a 4.6-magnitude aftershock in hard-hit La Guaira on Monday morning. 

No matter what photos or videos you’ve seen, “it’s worse than you probably think,” says Forhetz. Authorities say the initial quakes badly damaged or destroyed at least 855 buildings.

In this context, Convoy of Hope is working through its partnerships with local Venezuelan churches to distribute aid. 

“We evaluate through our people on the ground. They’re our eyes and ears there on the ground. They’re living it, they see it every day, they know what the needs are, and they can advise us how to best meet those needs,” says Forhetz. 

“When we get to empower the local church — people who are doing ministry — it really just empowers [Convoy of Hope] to be able to meet the needs of people, and opens the door to the gospel.”

Please stand with Convoy of Hope’s work as the hands and feet of Christ with your prayers. 

“[Pray for] favor for our team when it comes to logistics, and then favor with our team, for people to be able to ask the questions and be able to share the gospel, to tell people that God loves them,” says Forhetz.

Consider making a gift after you pray. Find Convoy of Hope’s crisis relief fund here. 

“You can support Convoy as we are working for the future, even as this disappears from the news,” says Forhetz. “We will still be working here.” 

Water distribution to search and rescue workers (Photo courtesy of Convoy of Hope)

Header photo: Water distribution to rescue workers (Photo courtesy of Convoy of Hope)

Qatar (Photo courtesy of Ayush Pappini via Unsplash)

On Wednesday, Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field. Iran responded on Thursday with strikes across the Gulf region, which included a gas facility at Qatar’s Ras Laffan plant. These events have made crude oil prices even more volatile. 

As the economic impacts of the war spread across the world, so do the psychological and human costs. Fadi Sharaiha from the MENA Leadership Center recognizes people growing numb to living under sirens, missiles, and drone strikes. 

“This is what we call the mechanism of defense for people. If you are going through a trauma, what happens is you justify the trauma, or you normalize it,” he says. “This is really a dangerous I would say ‘mental health’ concern that I have for people.”

Iranian boy in a jacket (picture courtesy of Hiva Sharifi via Unsplash)

The numbers surrounding this war keep rising, yet Sharaiha notes, “The first casualty in a war is truth. So nobody knows really the numbers, or what is really happening on the ground.” 

Even with the mass of data in Middle East news reports, the fact remains that every person who has been killed was made in God’s image, as well as every person displaced or suffering any kind of loss. 

“For me, those are not numbers. Those are faces. Those are people who are created in God’s image. They have aspiration, goals, feelings, emotions. They want to live their lives,” says Sharaiha. 

Find your place in the story

As Christians watch the news and pray, Sharaiha urges us to think personally, “to have a face to the number.”

“Please pray for the peace in the Middle East,” he says. “Pray for those people who are being displaced — like 1 million people in Lebanon.”

Lebanon (Stock photo courtesy of Nathan McBride via Unsplash)

Pray for endurance for Christians in the Gulf region. This is so important, because Sharaiha says, “It’s very easy to lose focus and faith whenever you’re going through a trauma, war, or conflict.” 

Also, pray a big-picture prayer! Ask God to use His people around the world to speak the true hope of Christ in significant ways during the Middle East conflict. This is tied to what Sharaiha calls “the prophetic voice” of the Church. 

“That [prophetic voice] is not politics. We need to go back to peace-building, reaching the unreached, loving people, and making sure that we are available for people to help and support,” he says. 

In early March, the MENA Leadership Center’s most recent online training was attended by students whose countries were being bombed in the newly-begun US-Israel-Iran war. Sharaiha says future courses will include an introduction to refugee ministry and a course on conflict resolution. 

“We are trying to respond to whatever is happening today, on the ground of people going through war, going through trauma, going through bad times,” he says. 

Learn more about the ministry and mission at menaleadershipcenter.com. 

Header photo courtesy of a user named Pavellllllll on Pixabay.

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).

With executions, prison sentences, and businesses forcibly closed following the protests, the regime’s grip appears tighter than ever – even as nuclear talks and regional tensions dominate international headlines.

Iran protests in Eastern Europe. (Photo courtesy of MNN)

For Iranians at home and abroad, the loss is deeply personal.

Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries (IMM) says members of their Persian expatriate film crew are carrying the weight of it every day.

“The news I get directly from them and their outrage over the killings in Iran and the abuse and the persecution is just heartbreaking,” Godwin shares.

“Speaking to one of the actors and key members of our crew, she said, ‘There’s nobody who doesn’t know someone that’s been killed.'”

The Iranian expatriate community remains tightly connected to family and friends back home. Godwin says, “Many of them, of course, have fled because of either political persecution or religious persecution, and they can’t go back. They can’t check on their families other than through the media…. So it’s really an intense time for them as they hear of deaths, either of friends or family or acquaintances, or they just can’t communicate with someone back home.”

At the same time, IMM is preparing to release a Persian-language dramatization of Esther’s story from the Bible — a story about faith and courage in the face of a regime bent on destruction. The project was filmed with Iranian actors and crew last summer.

“It’s pretty parallel to the situation going on in Iran. I mean, now there’s way more than one person risking their life,” Godwin says. “They’re just done with abuse, and they need hope.”

Esther: Queen of Hope (Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries)

That hunger for hope is especially poignant as Ramadan approaches. Godwin says, “There’s always searching going on during Ramadan by people who aren’t at ease with this religion, who are seeking God and not finding Him there.”

Please pray for grieving families, for protection over underground believers, and for the Gospel to reach those disillusioned and searching. Pray also for IMM as they work to deliver the Esther Project into Iran by summer.

“For such a time as this, God has His people in place. For such a time as this, God has sent out His message of hope. Jesus died for these people to give them eternal life.”

You can learn more about International Media Ministries and the Esther Project at their website.

Header photo: Iran protests in Eastern Europe. (Photo courtesy of MNN)

Despite the saber-rattling, the two nations appear to be edging toward resumed nuclear talks. Previous talks were effectively halted by the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June.

Within Iran, the regime’s brutal response to protestors seems to have quieted the streets. Yet Edwin Abnous with Heart4Iran says, “The real battle for people’s hearts and Iran’s future is nowhere near over. The very pain that sparked this — the corruption, the hardship, the oppression — is still there.”

Anti-government protests first started December 28, 2025 over the plummeting value of the Iranian rial. (Stock photo of Iranian currency courtesy of Ashkan Forouzani via Unsplash)

Iran’s government has acknowledged over 3,000 deaths during anti-government protests. However, U.S. human rights activists have confirmed over 6,840 deaths, with thousands more reports being investigated.

“We may never know the full toll on this side of heaven, really, but every single life was someone God created, precious to Him, and He knows each name,” says Abnous.

“What I’m hearing from people inside [Iran] is a deep sadness mixed with stubborn hope. Many are crushed by deaths, brutality and now threats of more executions.”

At the same time, beautiful stories are coming out despite the darkness, says Abnous. Stories of “whole families coming to faith because they have had enough of this regime’s empty promises.”

“Believers [are] telling me they are praying boldly, sharing the gospel carefully, and sensing God’s presence with people on the streets in the middle of all this craziness.”

Iran needs more than one day’s worth of attention. Would you commit to pray for its people during February especially? Please pray daily. 

“We’re witnessing terrible injustice, state-sponsored violence trying to break an entire society, targeting women, minorities, and believers. There are even reports of execution and intimidation meant to scare people into submission. The Book of Psalms gives us words to cry out about that,” says Abnous. (Consider Psalm 13.)

“We need to be praying for the comfort of grieving families and healing for the wounded people who have been shot on the streets.”

Pray also for courage for underground believers sharing the gospel. Also, pray for God’s will to be done in and among Iran’s leaders.

“They need Jesus, too. He tells us to pray for those who harm others,” says Abnous. “Please pray [that] this shaking leads to a great harvest — souls finding real life in Christ.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

Header image is a stock photo courtesy of Saba Ardani via Unsplash.

International tensions continue, too, as the United States moved some military assets toward the Middle East last week. On Friday, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution condemning the “violent crackdown on peaceful protests” by Iranian security forces. The Iranian government has rejected this resolution.

Azadi Square, Tehran, Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Erfan Ro via Unsplash)

“My concern is, number one, people who are created in the image of God are being killed,” says Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center. “I need to remind us that everyone is created in God’s image.”

U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports 5,848 people killed, with over 17,000 more deaths being investigated, and more than 41,200 arrests. The continued nationwide internet blackout makes verification even harder. 

Sharaiha is also concerned that Christians in Iran will be targeted in the crackdown. Not only that, but what happens in Iran affects Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, and the entire region, he says.

“What is really, I would say, troubling is that we don’t know what will be the final solution between the West and Iran. I mean, on whose expense would it be, the deal? Or if there will be any deal,” he says. 

Regime change won’t solve everything

Questions remain on whether the Iranian government will fall. But Sharaiha offers this reality check: “If the regime ceases to exist, what would be the option? What are the options?” he says. “We’re hearing the son of the ex-shah that was thrown off the throne, [Reza Pahlavi]. Now he has good potential, and the hope is that things will go well.”

However, Sharaiha says that in the case of any religious regime, the battle is against thoughts and doctrine, not only the army. Change in Iran has a long way to go.

Yet in all the turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa today, Sharaiha says, “I need to remind myself every single night that God is sitting on the throne, and God is good. God is sovereign. Whatever is happening is according to His will, and He is Lord of all.”

Find your place in the story

Although true change will take a long time in Iran, there’s something we can do today. “My prayer is that Christians in the West, and whoever is reading this, remind themselves that they have a bigger family,” says Sharaiha. “We are all one family of Christ.”

(Photo courtesy of Zahra Amiri/Unsplash)

Please pray for underground believers in Iran who are in extreme danger. Pray for wisdom for world leaders, and above all, “that God’s name would be glorified, and people will know that God is good and that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is the only One who can bring peace to the families in Iran, to the country of Iran.” 

The MENA Leadership Center offers courses and programs tailored to the region, which includes Iran. They recently offered courses on religious persecution and on trauma healing for refugee ministry. 

“My prayer and my hope is that at some point we will be helping the church and [able to] strengthen the church in Iran, inside Iran,” says Sharaiha.

Header photo is a representative stock photo from Iran courtesy of Mashid Saberpour via Unsplash.

Harsh winter weather beginning in early December has brought deep suffering to hundreds of thousands of those displaced by the Israel-Hamas war. Another storm is on the way.

“It’s raining like crazy, and it’s cold, and most of the people are living in tents,” says Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center.

Sharaiha says some people miss the fact that the October 10 Israel-Hamas ceasefire has not ended Gaza’s struggle. Families face the challenge of finding food and good living conditions. Nearly 800,000 displaced people are camping in flood-prone areas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

On top of daily life needs, danger continues from Israeli forces. Palestinian officials say that continued fire from Israel has killed more than 460 people in Gaza since the ceasefire began.

“Hope is a big, big, big word that is missing in Gaza right now. What is the hope for tomorrow?. Again, I’m not only talking about the minority of Christians still hanging on there, but I’m talking about the whole population of Gaza,” says Sharaiha.

“What is missing is hope for all people now. Yes, [they] talk about peace and ‘phase two.’ But if people cannot feel it on the ground, then it doesn’t make any sense.”

(Photo from Gaza Strip courtesy Jaber Jehad Badwan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

In all the complexities and tragedy on all sides of the Israel-Hamas war, prayer is the place to start. Pray for the gospel to penetrate deeper into Gaza. Pray for provision and endurance for those trapped in Gaza. 

“My prayer, my hope, is that something will happen and people can find the right solution for this, and hope will be gained,” says Sharaiha. “My prayer is that the people of [Gaza] will find out that [their] only hope is in Christ, and that this hope will give them hope for the future,” says Sharaiha.

Header photo: Children among the rubble in the Gaza Strip (Photo courtesy of Mohammed Ibrahim via Unsplash).

Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran (Photo By FDD – FDD Maximum Support: Operationalizing the Other Iran Policy Event, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The government has certainly tried to regain control, cutting internet services last week and using violent force. US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Sunday that over 10,600 people have been detained and at least 544 killed in the first two weeks of protests that began December 28, 2025.

But there’s another side to the crackdown. “The people are fighting back,” says Lana Silk with Transform Iran. “There have been images of the Iranian police running from the crowds because they were at risk. I’ve seen images of clerics who’ve been driving away, trying to hide their identity. You know, the people are angry at the Islamic regime, and all the clerics symbolize Islam in Iran.” 

Iran has gone through other protests in the years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. However, Silk says promised support from the United States and encouragement from Iran’s exiled crown prince have helped Iranians across all demographics come together in an unprecedented way. But it’s not enough. 

“They’re fighting with stones and sticks, and the government is fighting with machine guns. It’s a totally different kind of battle,” says Silk. “So this is not the time to go, ‘Well done, Iranians. Good job. Now we sit back and watch you take hold of your land.’ They still need help.” 

What’s more, the protests and crackdowns are signs of a spiritual battle that is touching not only Iran but the Middle East today, says Silk. “We need the support of the global church to see a final push through. This isn’t just about one country in isolation. If the enemy loses his hold in Iran, there is a huge domino effect that comes out of that.

“So let’s pray with faith. Let’s get behind Christian ministries who are serving in that area and empower them — again, also with prayer, but with resources, with support, with advocacy.”

(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

Transform Iran is one such ministry. For years, the team has been praying in faith and getting ready for God’s answer for an open Iran.

“We have been preparing with people, with Bibles, with plans and projects in place, ready to step in and do good in that land for the people of Iran,” says Silk. “So we’re watching carefully, and we’re making sure that we ourselves are ready for whatever comes next.”

Pray for God’s kingdom to come in Iran and the surrounding nations. You’re standing with believers in Iran when you do so. 

“All Iranians have a great sense of hope right now. But you know, the Christians have been praying about this,” says Silk. “There has been a lot of prayer for many, many years of Christians praying for a change, whether it was a shift in regime or whether it was repentance in the Islamic leadership. One way or another, Iran needed a change.” 

Header photo of Tehran, Iran (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Amirahmadi/Unsplash)