Tuesday’s reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil by the US were a response to recent strikes on three tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz. US officials believe those strikes came from Iran, which has insisted that it will not give up control over the international waterway. The US conducted strikes early Wednesday on Iranian air defense systems, radars, and dozens of small boats used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Iran did not claim responsibility for the tanker strikes, but it quickly responded to Wednesday’s US military actions by targeting US military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. The two countries have continued strikes on Thursday as well.

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

Transform Iran’s Lana Silk says she wasn’t expecting things to change this quickly, “but I was expecting the Iranian leadership to go back on promises they had made and to continue on with their express objectives of eventually wiping out Western democracy.” 

Silk says tens of thousands of people in Iran have fought and died for freedom over the past six months, with disheartening results as the regime stayed in power and talk of peace persisted. 

“Because what [peace] communicates to the Iranian people is that concessions are being made and the West is going to find a way to brush over what’s happened the last few months and patch things up and move on,” she explains. “There is a sentiment that ‘Could it have been that all of this great cost that has been paid was for nothing?’”

But after the renewed tensions of this week, Silk says, “Now I think the sentiment [among Iranians] is much more along the lines of, ‘Okay, maybe now the rest of the world will see what we see: that this government is duplicitous, this government doesn’t want peace, this government is on a path to destruction towards other people.’” 

Preparing for what may come next

Ceasefire or not, Transform Iran’s team remains on high alert, operating carefully as the Iranian regime continues to arrest citizens in greater numbers. 

“People are being pulled aside in their vehicles, just pedestrians on sidewalks. There really is almost a sense of randomness to it as well, that you could just be picked up at any point and have your devices checked,” says Silk. 

Transform Iran has been preparing for political and spiritual change in Iran for decades. The past six months have held increased urgency and intensity in that focus.

“We’re really sensing that God is about to do something glorious in Iran, and we want to make sure that as a ministry we are there ready to respond to the needs in every way, physical, spiritual, mental,” says Silk. 

Prayers matter

Don’t underestimate your prayers in God’s hands. Transform Iran makes sure that Iranian believers know the global church is aware and praying for them in these challenges. It strengthens them.

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

“And of course [prayer] matters from an eternal perspective. God has good plans for Iran, and we want to be part of that, and really partnering with the plans and purposes of God for this country,” says Silk. 

Here are a few strategic prayer points that she suggests. 

• “Pray for an exposure of the schemes of the enemy in Iran, that Western governments and leaders will be left in no doubt as to the real threat of Iran to the West, and there will be courage and wisdom in how that’s dealt with.” 
• “We want to see a new regime in Iran — a kind and just regime in Iran — but we also want to see salvation in the current regime. So, pray for the leaders of Iran today, that God would intervene. He will reveal Himself to them, that they would have their ‘Damascus Road’ moments, and come to know Jesus, and glorify Him in their repentance and their salvation.”
• “Pray for the church, pray for courage, pray for safety.”
• “Pray for the lost, that they will be saved, that this freedom they so badly long for, they would find the perfect version of it in Jesus Christ.”
• “Pray for us in ministry that we would make good decisions and use the resources available to us with wisdom, to have them make the greatest possible difference in the country for God’s glory.” 

Header photo of Tafresh, Markazi Province, Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Mostafa Meraji via Unsplash)

As internet access gradually returns across the country, SAT-7 USA is once again hearing directly from viewers who relied on the ministry’s Persian-language channel for spiritual encouragement, prayer, and hope during a season of unprecedented disruption. 

Photo courtesy of Akbar Nemati on Unsplash

The blackout severed communication for many Iranian families and communities, creating additional challenges for Christians who often depend on online resources for fellowship, discipleship, and spiritual support. Despite these barriers, SAT-7 PARS continued broadcasting via satellite, ensuring viewers could still access faith-based programming throughout the crisis. 

One viewer who participated in a SAT-7 teaching session after connectivity started to return shared how God sustained his family through the hardship. 

“Yet, miraculously, God provided for us from places we could never have imagined and met all our needs,” he said after losing his job during the conflict. “We had nowhere to turn and no hand to hold except that of our Heavenly Father.” 

Hope Through Reconnection 

As communication channels reopened, SAT-7 PARS immediately began receiving messages from viewers across Iran. In a single day, the ministry received approximately 70 messages through WhatsApp, while viewers rejoined online teaching sessions and children’s programs for the first time in months. 

“We were constantly worried about each viewer,” said Ashraf Khalilpour, SAT-7 PARS Viewer Support Manager.“Now that the internet is gradually returning, we are seeing immediate signs of reconnection.” 

While the return of internet access is encouraging, many Iranians continue to face economic hardship, emotional strain, and ongoing restrictions. SAT-7 PARS anticipates an increased need for counseling, prayer, and practical support as viewers process the impact of months of isolation.

“For many people, the damage caused by months of disconnection will continue to be felt emotionally, economically, socially, and spiritually,” said Reza Jafari, SAT-7 PARS Multimedia Senior Manager.“Our role will be to listen carefully, respond pastorally, and provide content that helps people process what they have experienced through the hope and truth of the Gospel.” 

Through satellite television, digital platforms, and personal follow-up, SAT-7 continues to remind viewers throughout Iran that they are not alone. Even during periods of conflict, uncertainty, and restricted communication, the ministry remains committed to sharing the hope of Christ with those searching for encouragement and connection. 

Header image courtesy of SAT-7 USA

Peace talks negotiated by the United States produced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s government at the end of June. However, implementation of the deal remains problematic as Hezbollah refuses to comply, and Israeli strikes continue.

Walk through the South today and you won’t find peace. You will find neighborhoods reduced to dust and over a million displaced souls living in cars, tents, and overcrowded shelters. The world’s attention turned away, leaving families to navigate a shattered reality.
(Graphic, caption courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Though many Lebanese criticize the framework agreement, Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says the Lebanese government didn’t have much choice.

“If we miss the push towards peace and negotiations in the region, we will be left with a terribly destroyed southern part of Lebanon with no hope of rebuilding, nor hope of seeing the internally displaced having the chance to return home,” Melki explains.

While Lebanese citizens disagree on how peace should be achieved, Melki says most agree it’s necessary for the nation.

“Lebanon, as a majority population, is eager and thirsty for living in peace with its neighbors, and in peace with one another.”

The stalled peace process carries a human cost, especially for Shia Muslims in southern Lebanon.

War costs and opportunity

Some of Hezbollah’s biggest supporters are also the most affected by the ongoing violence. “The whole nation has been dragged into a war, but the Shia Muslims are the ones who are suffering the most,” Melki says.

“Lebanon is divided into three major religious groups: one third of our population is Shia Muslim, another third is Sunni Muslim, and the [final] third are Christians. Hezbollah comes from a Shia Muslim background, so one-third of our population today feels it’s been held hostage by Hezbollah.”

(Graphic courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Pray for believers as they extend help and hope to those in need, regardless of their background.

“Pray that we can show the love of Jesus Christ, unconditional love, to people who have not heard of the Christian faith before,” Melki requests.

Help through Heart for Lebanon here. Your assistance enables Gospel workers to meet the immediate needs of people who are struggling or displaced due to the ongoing war in Lebanon and to share the life-changing hope of the Gospel with them.

“Heart for Lebanon has doubled its ministry opportunities in southern Lebanon. Today, we care for more than 7,000 families every month. It has stretched us to the limit, but we also understand that it is important to help a family survive this hardship,” Melki says.

“This is our opportunity to bring Jesus to every home, to every community, and to every villager. Now, what they do with that – that’s between them and God.”

Header image is a representative photo that depicts mourning Shia Muslims. Photo courtesy of Payam Moein, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. 

As the world watches events unfold, Christians inside Iran remain at risk.

“Whenever there’s conflict like this, it strengthens the hands of extremists, and then they go after minority groups,” David Bogosian of the Alliance for the Unreached says.

“It’s already happening; more Christians are being arrested, more Christian leaders are being targeted.”

Yet a deep hunger for truth remains. Many Iranians are responding to the Gospel, even as the government cracks down.

“The extremist elements have taken over the government. Elements that were kept at bay by moderates are unleashed now, and there’s nothing to restrain them,” Bogosian says.

“The extremist elements within Iran don’t like the fact that Christianity is one of the fastest-growing parts of their society; they want to crack down on that and suppress it.”

Reason to hope

(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

Iran remains an essential territory in the Great Commission. Unreached people groups comprise over 90 percent of its population. “Iran is the epicenter of an area of the world that we call the Restricted Access Zone, where 3 billion people are denied access to the Gospel,” Bogosian says.

Despite persecution, the hope of Christ is spreading like wildfire in Iran. “The Word of God is being distributed in large numbers; there are people meeting in thousands of small groups all over the country,” Bogosian says.

“In spite of the fact that it’s illegal to become a Christian, it’s illegal to proclaim the Gospel, it’s happening in an epic way as we’ve never seen before,” he continues.

“It’s one of the most incredible things that’s happened in our lifetime for the Great Commission.”

Ask the Lord to strengthen Iranian Christians as they share the Good News with people who’ve never heard about Jesus.

“The first thing for the Church to pray for is that they (Iranian Christians) would not have fear,” Bogosian says.

“[Pray] that they would continue to have boldness in proclaiming the Gospel, and that they wouldn’t be silent, in spite of the fact that so many have been arrested.”

Header image depicts an Iranian protest in Canada. Photo courtesy of Sima Ghaffarzadeh/Pexels.

Hezbollah flag
(Photo courtesy mhrezaa/Unsplash)

The agreement said Israel and Lebanon had agreed to launch a pilot program in two areas near the “yellow line,” which marks Israeli-held territory. Under the plan, Hezbollah would be dismantled, and the Lebanese army would gain control of those areas.

Hezbollah, which did not take part in the negotiations, rejected the agreement. Hezbollah MP Hassan Falallah told Al Mayadeen that Beirut would be unable to enforce the deal unless it was willing to risk a civil war.

Next steps

Key military leaders met yesterday to discuss how to implement the pact. The proposed “framework” for future talks between Israel and Lebanon drew mixed reactions from Lebanese citizens.

Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says Friday’s trilateral agreement between Israel, Lebanon, and the U.S. is important because “Lebanon, as a nation, never has declared a war against Israel, nor has Israel declared a war against Lebanon.”

Instead, Melki says, “It has always been Hezbollah, now, and other paramilitary groups in the past decades, that have used the Lebanese territory as a launching pad for attacks against Israel.”

Civilians pay

Meanwhile, Lebanon is paying a heavy price for Hezbollah’s wars. The current conflict follows fighting that Hezbollah began in 2023 in defense of Hamas.

“For two years, Hezbollah and Israel have been tit-for-tat shelling each other in southern Lebanon. 11,000 homes have been destroyed, more than 4000 individuals have been killed, and more than 13,000 individuals have been injured,” Melki says.

“All those are innocent civilians; we’re not counting militants. Add to it the 1.2 million internally displaced folks, predominantly people from southern Lebanon, fleeing that region to Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.”

Help and hope

Heart for Lebanon helps people caught in the middle, Christian and Muslim alike. Find ways to support that work here.

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

“There are more than 33 small villages along the borders between Lebanon and Israel where Christian villagers live and are completely disconnected from the rest of the world,” Melki says.

“We’re one of the very few faith-based Christian ministries that are able to reach these villages.”

Working alongside nongovernmental organizations, Heart for Lebanon helps organize an aid convoy to Christian villages in the war zone. First, the team gathers requests: “We receive a list of the material needed by those villagers through the municipality or elders in the village,” Melki says.

Next, the convoy is assembled: “Every NGO will bring in what they have as supplies, put them in a convoy led by the Red Cross, and then negotiate the safe passage of those trucks to the villages.”

Header image depicts Hezbollah flag. Photo courtesy Paul Keller via Flickr/CC-BY-NC 2.0.

Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says, “Our prayer is that those negotiations will go forth productively and will come up with some very affirmative steps to keep the ceasefire holding and lead into a long-term peace agreement.”

So far, talks have done little to stop fighting on the ground. Melki says, “Prior to this last ceasefire, there have been more than a dozen ceasefires that did not last for more than an hour or two hours.”

The longest pause after three months of war began Saturday night. The ceasefire came as a result of a U.S.-Iran agreement to stop fighting on all fronts – including Lebanon.

Because today’s peace talks involve Israel and the Lebanese government, the Iranian proxy Hezbollah remains a wildcard.

“Neither the Lebanese government nor the US nor Israel wants a seat for Hezbollah at the (negotiating) table,” Melki says.

“Our presidents made it very clear: ‘We welcome every party that wants to help, but no one negotiates on behalf of Lebanon except its government.’”

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Meanwhile, suffering continues. Fighting has killed over 4,000 people since March, and more than 1 million have been displaced.

Heart for Lebanon is meeting needs in Christ’s name, and your support keeps the work going. Learn about giving options here.

“This is our golden opportunity, not only to care and support families in great need, but also to bring the Gospel in meaningful and tangible ways [to] people who have been deceived [and] indoctrinated,” Melki says.

“Our goal is to make sure that every family we touch, every individual we serve, we tell them of the Jesus that we believe in.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

The pressures aren’t due only to the past three-and-a-half months of conflict, or even the past year since the 12-day war in June 2025 between Iran and Israel and the United States.

“For all these years [since 1979], the regime has not been putting the funds back into the economy, back into the infrastructure, back into the water resources of the country,” says Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries (IMM). 

“Therefore, as even worse economic conditions have come into their circumstances, all the things that weren’t cared for all these nearly 50 years are crumbling even [more so]. It’s pretty incredible if you look at how Iran looked and behaved in the 1970s and what it is today.”

Economists and regime-affiliated research institutions have warned of a “poverty explosion” within Iran. Soon, there could be more than 40 million people below the poverty line.

“When you take away the analytical side, it’s not economics. It’s human beings who are trying to live, trying to have jobs, trying to feed their children,” says Godwin.

Even as the Iranian regime continues to express defiance and immovability toward the West, citizens within Iran stand against the regime. The resistance group called the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran has reported that on June 12 it launched a “widespread, highly coordinated anti-repression campaign across Iran.”

Clip from Esther: Queen of Hope (Courtesy of IMM)

“The protests have not stopped. People are trying to choose their times wisely, from what I’ve heard,” says Godwin. 

Into the struggle and uncertainty, Godwin says the first episode of IMM’s limited film series on the biblical story of Esther is almost ready. It will soon reach Iranian audiences in Europe as a test group.

“Please pray over that, that the pieces would come together, that we find the right locations and the right people to be with,” says Godwin. The film project is intended to reach Iranians with the true story of the Persian people’s history with Jews. 

“Esther’s story parallels so much of what is happening [today], where individuals are having to sacrifice to bring truth and freedom and release from bondage or death, even to Iran right now,” says Godwin. “Islamic rulers managed to eliminate, or perhaps you could say disguise history, and so a lot of people don’t understand the whole story [of Esther].”

Ask God to show His mighty hand in Iran. Pray for believers to stay courageous in their witness. 

“We hope that the evil being put upon the Iranians, the starvation, the abuse, the lack of religious freedom, the lack of any freedom would be cast down, and that liberty would be brought there, and the hope of the gospel would be brought there,” says Godwin. 

Header photo: Tehran Province, Tehran (Stock photo courtesy of Rayhane Saber via Unsplash)

Contrary to projections that it would end swiftly, the US-Israeli war on Iran is in its fourth month. John Cergnilia with SAT-7 remarks, “To be frank about it, I don’t hear Iranian colleagues talking about this being short-lived.” 

SAT-7 is a satellite TV ministry to the Middle East and North Africa. Its Persian channel (SAT-7 PARS) broadcasts into Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. 

Cerniglia says that the SAT-7 PARS team has heard stories of horrific injustice from Iranians on the ground. Yet Iranian believers also have a sober grasp of what it means to be a Christian. 

One colleague from Iran told Cerniglia simply this: “Following Christ means sacrifice. It means suffering.” 

Recently, the SAT-7 team has shared content especially for grieving or struggling parents. Children in Iran have been killed in US airstrikes and crackdowns by the Iranian regime. Many today are being recruited for military-like security activities. 

“Even when — this is hard for me to even say — even when a Christian in Iran loses a child, they expect it as a Jesus-follower,” Cerniglia says. “Sacrifice and suffering in that context.”

Some contact SAT-7 PARS Audience Relations Specialists at great personal risk to ask for prayer and share their stories. (Image courtesy SAT-7)

SAT-7 PARS content for parents includes a poignant video compilation of how parents have expressed both grief and resilience in the face of loss. SAT-7 has also broadcast a three-episode series called The Passage. One episode talks about how parents can walk their kids through the emotional pressures of war. 

Please stand with Iranians in prayer. 

“Pray for protection over civilians — not just Christians, but over all civilians, 80 million people living in the country of Iran. [Pray for] restraint and wisdom among leaders,” says Cerniglia. 

“And of course, [pray] that God would strengthen the churches and believers. The resilience that we hear about the Church, the spiritual maturity of the Church in Iran, is nothing short of stunning.”

Visit SAT-7’s website to receive a prayer list with further requests.

Header photo of home worship courtesy of SAT-7 PARS.

At the same time, Edwin Abnous with Heart4Iran says reports about Iran’s political leadership are conflicting.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (Photo courtesy of Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150832367)

“Iran International reported that Iranian President Pezeshkian has sent his resignation to Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, but there is no way to verify this.

“It seems like there is an anonymous source sharing this information with Iran International, and we do not know who this source is. After that, a few Western media outlets also picked it up and repeated it, but as of now, no one has been able to independently verify it.”

Yet, there is one encouraging development.

“It seems like the internet is back on again,” says Abnous. “However, there is also severe restrictions for Iranian users. They need to use VPN to get into the outside world, but WhatsApp and Telegram and social media platform connections and messaging systems are picking up again, and we’re receiving some contacts, and that is good news.”

Restored internet communication, even to some extent, means more than exchanging messages. It means believers can better share Gospel hope with Iranians.

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

Abnous explains, “It is very important for the ministry like Heart4Iran to be able to have this two-way communication and connection with the people inside the country, because that is where discipleship is happening.”

For believers watching events unfold, Abnous encourages keeping sight of the people behind the headlines. While governments negotiate, exchange threats, and trade accusations, millions of Iranians continue searching for hope, truth, and lasting peace.

Pray for stability in the region, protection for civilians caught in conflict, and open doors for Gospel ministry. Ask God to strengthen Iranian believers and draw many people to Himself through the ongoing outreach and discipleship efforts taking place despite restrictions.

Learn more about Heart4Iran and its ministry to people in Iran at heart4iran.com.

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

Transform Iran’s app “Cheshme,” meaning “spring of water,” is bringing hope into Iran. Lana Silk says, “if you’re feeling lost or struggling in any area, then you have at your fingertips a whole range of materials to encourage you.”

The app offers a variety of free resources, from teaching videos, movies, books, and articles to worship music and sermons. Through the app, users can also connect to digital church services and regular prayer meetings in multiple Iranian languages.

Woman checking phone (photo courtesy of Priscilla Du Preezvia Unsplash)

“Through the app you’d connect to the digital church services, the weekly, daily prayer meetings that happen in multiple Iran languages throughout the week,” Silk says.

“Cheshme” also provides access to online education, radio, and more. For many believers unable to gather freely with others, the app offers encouragement and connection. As Silk puts it, “You feel part of a community.”

Launched in 2021, the project has recently been updated to better meet current needs. “And already about 21,000 people have downloaded it,” Silk says.

Join Transform Iran in praying for God’s will in the country and in the lives of believers. “We pray for the church and we pray protection over the technology against hacking and malware so we can continue to support people digitally,” Silk says.

Pray also for financial provision to bring “Cheshme” into more homes across Iran. Support is also needed for ongoing projects, developing further content into dozens of Iran’s ethnic languages.

Visit Transform Iran to learn more about how the ministry reaches Iranians with the Gospel despite restrictions and government crackdowns.

Header photo: Representative photo of a man with a phone (photo courtesy of KAXAL via Unsplash).