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)

Pastor Loc Lam from A3 in Vietnam says, according to reports, more than 44,000 homes and around 14,000 acres (6,000 hectares) of crops have been harmed.

“We are connecting with those who are in this crisis, so that we can see how we can supply rice, clothing and accommodation for them,” he says. “We must work with the local [authorities] in order to help the people in the communities.”

Photo taken in Soc Trang, Vietnam (Representative stock photo courtesy of Trung Nhan Tran via Unsplash)

Heavy rainfall after the storm has made flooding and landslides more likely. Those dangers stir up memories of Super Typhoon Yagi from September 2024. That storm claimed the lives of more than 320 people in Vietnam, and hundreds more in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. 

Today, believers in Vietnam are rallying with others to bring relief as the hands and feet of Christ. 

“Many of them lost their houses. There’s no house to stay [in], and no food, no clothing,” says Pastor Loc Lam. “So please pray for them, that we can try our best to supply something that they need for their survival.” 

Pray for open doors to work alongside the government to provide aid. 

“The government [is] trying their best as well, with the NGOs and organizations, even with different religions, to raise fund[s] and support the people in those places,” said the pastor. “Please pray for cooperation among the government and organization[s], even churches and religions, to work together to help the people overcome this type of situation.”

Keep watching and praying for Southeast Asia. The region has another two months of monsoon season to endure. 

Header photo: Typhoon Bualoi approaching northern Vietnam, September 28, 2025 (Photo by MODIS image from Aqua Satellite – EOSDIS Worldview, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

But for local women, the quake is only one crisis among many. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan four years ago, the militant group has tightened restrictions on women’s travel, education, employment, and even the use of their voices. The UN reports that these abuses of women’s rights are being normalized. 

Recently, Nehemiah* with FMI heard directly from Afghan pastors about the social boycott women are enduring: “Many women feel trapped, silenced and powerless. This isolation has further increased levels of depression, anxiety and hopelessness among women, while also placing immense pressure [on] families who relied on women’s income.”

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

Yet in places of despair, the light of the gospel shines. It just has to be shared carefully. In Afghanistan and similar cultures, a man may only speak with a woman if they are related. 

“In many cases, FMI’s pastors, their wives are the ones who go and talk to these deprived women who [do not find] hope in [the] Taliban system, but they find hope in Jesus Christ,” says Nehemiah. “This is the only channel we have at the moment where women feel connected and encouraged.”

Recently, one pastor’s wife showed the Jesus Film to a dozen women. Pray that many more will know the hope of Christ! 

“Pray for FMI partners in Afghanistan and their wives, who are really struggling and [who] put their life on [the] line every day,” says Nehemiah.

“Pray for their safety, their wisdom. [Ask] God [to] open avenues and doors for these pastors and their wives so they can connect with other Afghan families, women, children, so they can do ministry.”

Learn more about the work of FMI here. 

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Farid Ershad via Unsplash.

The four-page report, with thirteen careful statements plus subpoints, called for a diplomatic solution. The very next day, Israel opened fire on Iranian military and nuclear targets. 

Since then, an Iranian human rights group based in Washington, DC has reported 639 killed and 1,329 wounded in Iran. The Israeli government says 24 civilians in Israel have been killed since Friday. 

“Honesty and compassion [are a] very hard balance to have at this point, especially [in a moment] that we are all charged with the emotions,” says Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center. “But we need to remind ourselves that we are Christians first, that we are children of God first, and God’s call on our lives is to be peacemakers.

“At the same time, every single person right now in the Middle East is being affected, impacted — whether it’s you, your family, your relatives, or your friends.” 

No one wants to imagine what could happen if the wrong strike hits the right nuclear site. Among other targets, Israeli fire has already damaged Iran’s Natanz and Arak facilities. (Here’s what the IAEA and other nuclear authorities say about this nuclear danger.)

“There is a need for some kind of peace talks about this, and then hopefully Iran will go back to the negotiation table and then sit down and have [a] good deal,” Sharaiha says. 

Whatever the outcome, he reminds us countless lives are at stake. 

“They have names, they have faces, and they have relatives; they have dreams, they have visions for their lives. And guess what? Some of them are our brothers and sisters in Christ,” he says.

“I don’t want us to only feel for our brother[s] and sisters, but also to feel for the people. Those are people created in God’s image, regardless of their skin color, gender, or even ethnic group.”

(Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

Pray for peace — and for international leaders to put the needs of their people first. 

“I also invite people to pray that whatever is happening right now will advance the gospel. I don’t know how. I don’t know why. But I know that this is my prayer,” says Sharaiha. 

Please pray for wisdom, patience, and endurance for the MENA Leadership Center. In the months ahead, they will offer new training on refugee trauma care as well as a program on mentorship and coaching. 

“Let’s remember who we are, and whenever we talk as Christians about ‘Let’s do this. Let’s do that,’ let’s remember, ‘Would Jesus say this?’ This is very important, to put the filter of the Bible [on] whatever we say,” Sharaiha offers. 

“Let’s focus on the most important thing, which is sharing the gospel. It’s not about winning or losing; it is sharing the gospel.”

Header photo: a radioactive sign at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine (Photo courtesy of Kilian Karger via Unsplash)