Iran recently allowed militia groups to carry out operations, including those targeting the U.S., without first getting permission from Tehran. The U.S. is pressuring Iraq to keep Iran’s proxies in check.

“At least [the] Iraqi central government is a little bit stronger in order to fight some of these things,” Samuel* of Redemptive Stories says.

“But I hear [from sources] on the ground, it’s getting closer and closer to another internal armed conflict within Iraq.”

Proxy war

Late last month, Arab neighbors sent Iraq’s government a similar warning: Get control over Iran’s proxies.

(AI-generated by ChatGPT)

“There are PMF factions within Iraq sending small arms forces into the Gulf states, and even into Jordan, on behalf of Iran,” Samuel says.

“That benefits them (Iran) in pressuring the Gulf states, and in particular Jordan, while somehow maintaining ‘plausible deniability’ under international law, similar to the model being used in Lebanon and Yemen.”

Analysts say Iran builds a shield around itself by attacking the U.S. and its allies through proxies. At the same time, it leaves countries like Iraq footing the cost.

“The Iraqi government continues to want Arab normalization with the rest of the nations around it, but it struggles because of the internal factions like the PMF that answer to Tehran, instead of being connected with Baghdad,” Samuel says.

How to help

Iraq’s religious minorities are not immune to the fallout of war. “The civilian and humanitarian costs of this instability are real, but they’re also largely invisible right now, given all that’s going on around it,” Samuel says.

“We’re hearing from brothers and sisters in Erbil that some of their church buildings have been damaged. You hear of Kurds feeling caught between everybody…they just feel like pawns in the middle of everyone’s chess game.”

Pray for Iraqi Christians as they serve the Lord amid escalating tensions.

(AI-generated by ChatGPT)

“As the conflict deepens, we’re seeing believers open their homes, their churches, their networks, to displaced families. Regardless of religion or ethnicity, it is the Church that will continue to stand in this gap to care for [its] neighbor,” Samuel says.

“It’s this time when followers of Jesus move towards the suffering rather than away from it.”

Pray also for the Lord’s will to be done in Iraq.

“We need to continue to pray for peace, that there would be a strong enough government to squelch the PMF and other forces that are attacking the neighboring nations, and that there would be a push out of Iranian influence,” Samuel says.

*Pseudonym

Header and story images are AI-generated by ChatGPT.

“After all that’s happened,” says Samuel* with Redemptive Stories, “and how Iran has been attacked and at least perceived by some as dishonored, the honor and shame part of the culture of this part of the world means that the fight might take a pause — but it will still go on.”

He points out that situations in the Middle East are always intertwined. Hezbollah connects to Iran, connects to Syria, connects to Iraq, etcetera. 

“It may not happen in two weeks. It may not happen in two months. But I wholeheartedly believe that there will be ongoing attacks against US interests in the region for the time to come, as retaliation for what has taken place over the past month-and-a-half,” Samuel says. 

That risk assessment is concerning not only for Western or US interests in the Middle East, but also for local Christians. 

“The evangelical Church in this part of the world, for better or for worse, is often connected to the US,” Samuel says. “Therefore, these will have implications on evangelical churches in Iraq, perhaps even in Lebanon.”

(Photo courtesy of Lara Jameson via Pexels)

He also expects an impact on the underground Church in Iran: “I’m assuming there will be significant crackdowns once the dust settles a little bit.”

Pray for protection, boldness, and strength for brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle East as they speak about the hope of the gospel.

“God always uses these chaotic moments to bring people to Himself. We’ve seen it all throughout the region, and we see it over and over again,” says Samuel. 

“I’m sure that they are also praying that in the midst of the chaos that’s happened in Iran and in Lebanon and somewhat in Iraq, that God would, by His great grace, bring some of those who have been affected to Himself. So that is [local Christians’] prayer, along with security and safety.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo courtesy of Saifee Art via Unsplash. 

Samuel* with Redemptive Stories explains that Iraq contains United States military bases as well as armed groups loyal to Iran. Therefore, Iraq is a target for both sides. Not only does Iran shell US forces, but also, “some of those attacks actually come from inside of Iraq through the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is an Iraqi paramilitary group that is heavily allied with Iran,” he says.

Iraq (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Ramalho via Unsplash)

Case in point: In Baghdad on Tuesday, both an Iran-affiliated building as well as the US Embassy (or the area around it) came under targeted strikes, according to a report from Al Jazeera. 

Samuel calls the situation a mess on multiple levels. “It’s having secondary effects on the economic state of the country, which is really troublesome to the people as a whole.”

Iraq’s minority Christian population lives in the middle of these realities. Samuel says believers have had to shelter in place at times this month. Yet they continue to minister the gospel during Ramadan.

“When chaos happens, it is upon the church and ministries to be a stabilizing force, to still communicate the hope — not just to survive, but to communicate hope and peace in the midst of it. I’m hearing that from a lot of our partners on the ground that are working with many of the minority groups, including Christians and the [Yazidis,] Syrian refugees,” says Samuel.

(Photo courtesy of Mhrezaa via Unsplash)

Find your place in this story by praying for Iraq. Although God does use trouble to shake people’s lives in good ways, stability also helps the gospel reach more people. Ask God to preserve stability in Iraq by His mercy and enable more people there to accept Jesus.

“Pray that the infrastructure mechanisms which are necessary for them to continue to do their ministry — whether that be fuel, whether it be food supplies, electricity, medical care — would still be able to continue on.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo courtesy of Ali Hussein via Pexels. 

Iraq (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Ramalho via Unsplash)

On February 28, 2026 the United States and Israel attacked Iran. Since then, Iran has fired retaliatory strikes against Israel and against US assets in at least eight other countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

“We forget that people are dying right now and people are being killed and life is disrupted,” says Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center.

Each man, woman, and child killed in strikes since February 28 was made in God’s image. They are not numbers.

“In the Gulf now, it’s a war zone. It’s not only, by the way, the US bases, but also Iran is bombing even civilian entities and facilities,” says Sharaiha. “As a Middle-Eastern evangelical Christian, I really grieve the violence happening in the region. War brings suffering to ordinary people on every side.”

Kuwait (Photo courtesy of Frans Van Heerden via Pexels)

Sharaiha recognizes the polarizing effect of much of today’s media. Yet being polarized isn’t the role Christians are supposed to fill. 

“[One,] we remind ourselves that God is sitting on the throne,” he says. “Two, people are people, and they have faces. And the third thing, please remember that our role as a church is really to pray for the situation and ask God to interfere in a way that is amazing, that He would use whatever is happening to His glory, for the kingdom, and for expanding the gospel.”

Pray — and pray personally

Peace across the region, wisdom for leaders, and the spread of the gospel are places to start. Prayer for Iran’s future is also critical, as it is in a historic moment that could go many different directions. 

“If the regime is collapsing in Iran, my prayer is that if it is happening, that we will have Plan B, because what we don’t want to have is Iraq or Afghanistan,” says Sharaiha.

Iran (Photo courtesy of Zahra Amiri via Unsplash)

Iraq and Afghanistan are both neighbors of Iran. They have experienced decades of instability, with deeply complex combinations of terrorism, power vacuums, US military involvement, and other factors.

As you pray, Sharaiha urges you to have a real person’s face in mind. This will likely require an adventure. If you don’t already know people from Middle Eastern nations, go out into your community and try to find them — perhaps a local franchise or community center will give you this chance. 

“Get to know them, so that you will have a face next to the [country] name, next to that number,” says Sharaiha.

If all else fails, look up stories, prayer videos, or data from ministries such as Open Doors International, Prayercast, and Joshua Project.

Lebanon (Photo courtesy of Nathan McBride via Unsplash)

Finally, please also pray for discernment for the MENA Leadership Center as they navigate the developing conflict. Last week, the ministry offered an online training on Coaching for Success. Sharaiha says fifty people attended “from all countries in the MENA that are being affected right now.” This showed him that the training was meeting a real need, even in a time of open hostilities. 

Learn more here about the MENA Leadership Center and the role it plays for the Church across the MENA region.

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

Yet an old danger is rising within Syria itself: ISIS. 

In January, government troops under President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s administration clashed with Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria. American intelligence agencies believe that during that campaign,15,000-20,000 people were freed from detention camps. Many of these people were affiliated with ISIS.

Aleppo, Syria (Photo courtesy of Ahmad Sofi via Unsplash)

“There is legitimate concern that we are walking back into the same ISIS war that we left a few years ago,” says Duane Friesen with Voice of the Martyrs Canada. “And what will that mean for the Christian community? What will it mean for the neighboring countries?” 

Regardless of new labels or badges that Syrian militant groups might take, Friesen observes, “they seem to run back to the same narrative, and that is, ‘Anyone who’s not like me is somebody that’s worth killing.’ And anytime you’re into that mindset, the story seems to always go the same way.” 

In the past year, Syria’s Christian, Alawite, and Druze minorities have endured episodes of terrible violence — sometimes at the hands of government forces, and sometimes at the hands of other ethnic or militant groups — including ISIS.

“I hope that this government that’s now in place will take seriously some of the honest conversations in regard to religious freedom. They have been approached on this topic very clearly. They have an opportunity right now,” says Friesen. “Will they take up the mantle of justice for all who are Syrian? That’s still to be seen, and that’s the concern.”

For Christians, uncertainty and even fear under the government of President al-Sharaa continues, but so does the call to share the gospel. Please watch and pray for boldness for Syria’s Christians under tremendous pressure. 

“Believers want to have the courage to do what God has called them to do, even in the midst of the challenges,” says Friesen. “Pray that God would open a way in the minds and hearts of the new government to see the value of providing religious freedom for all who live in Syria.”

Header photo: What is left of a street in Daraa, Syria, an ISIS stronghold. Stock photo courtesy of Mahmoud Sulaiman/Unsplash. 

For years, national voter turnout has been low, plagued by cynicism and apathy. However, this week, more than 56% of registered Iraqis showed up at the polls.

“I’m surprised by that number!” remarks Samuel with Redemptive Stories. “We had heard that this would be the lowest turnout of them all, but it seems like the number is actually the opposite. This might be one of the highest.”

Samuel believes that the voter turnout number points to a deeper shift in Iraq.

“It means that people are beginning to trust the government. It means they want their voice to be heard. It means that things are uniquely stabilizing.”

A church in Baghdad. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

That’s a big deal in a country that has endured decades of conflict and instability. Still, Samuel warns believers not to assume calm will make life easier for the Church.

“When stability occurs, it gives space for the authorities to look for other sources that will bring instability,” says Samuel. “So that could begin to, again, add a microscope to the work of the Church in the overall sphere of Iraq.”

As final election results are expected next week, pray for God’s will in Iraq.

Samuel asks, “Pray that the Church will continue to stand as a beacon of hope – no matter who is in charge of the government or who is in power – that it would not only stand as a beacon of hope, but it would continue to be a light that goes out from the Church.”

Header photo: An Iraqi woman votes in 2010 election. Image courtesy of DVIDSHUB (www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/4417086779/), Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic | Flickr

The US military re-entered Iraq in 2014 to help counter the influence of ISIS in Iraq as well as Syria. Today, the fight against ISIS continues. Iraq is more stable, though some complexities exist because of America’s presence.

In an interesting paradox, Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says the stability is reversing how authorities interact with local Christians. 

“In the past, they were too busy fighting wars between ISIS and/or civil war. There were higher things on the hierarchy of needs in terms of what the police force and the government [were] focused on,” he says.

(Representative stock photo courtesy of mhrezaa via Unsplash)

“But now, there’s enough space for them to again begin to attack Christians. So we’re seeing persecution, unfortunately, rise in Iraq.” 

Although the influence of ISIS in Iraq is significantly diminished, don’t miss this fact: “To ‘get rid of’ them is a misnomer,” Samuel says, “because the ideology of that part of Sunni Islam is still there, and it will stay there. It is in the hearts and the thoughts of people.” 

Jesus can transform people’s hearts and is doing this even now. Samuel says that in northern Iraq, witnessing boldly for Christ is possible. “God is working there, particularly among minority groups, including Christians [who] have stayed.” 

Southern Iraq, where Shia Islam is predominant, is the most unreached area of the nation, Samuel says. “Yet one of the greatest tools God is using right now is continued media reaching into that space. We’re seeing lots of people come to faith and seek God.”

The gospel will continue to spread in Iraq at a price. In regions of the Middle East and across Africa where Islamic extremism is rampant, Christians need to prepare for suffering.

A house destroyed by war with ISIS in Sinjar, Iraq.
(Photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash)

“The Christian life isn’t fair across the board. For me to be a Christian in certain contexts is easy; in other ones, much harder,” says Samuel.

Find your place in this story through prayer.

“We need bold leaders who are willing to walk that line of hearing God’s voice and knowing which way to go, like Paul did when danger came, and knowing which risks to take versus which not to,” says Samuel.

“We need to encourage our brothers and sisters, pray for them, and help them walk a path that’s bold and courageous, even in the midst of what they have to suffer.” 

*Pseudonym

Header photo: A house destroyed by war with ISIS in Sinjar, Iraq. (Photo courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy/Unsplash)

That’s good news, but for Christians in places like Syria and West Africa, ISIS still presents a daily threat. 

Samuel* with Redemptive Stories explained, “An interpretation of Islam creates the scenario for ISIS to exist. It is one strict interpretation that is not held by many. Maybe 10 percent of all Muslims would think that this is a legitimate interpretation.” 

But those who do hold this interpretation often embrace it violently. Because it’s an ideology, Samuel believes ISIS will keep resurfacing worldwide even when networks are dismantled. 

“Anytime those power vacuums exist and chaos reigns, it gives a license and opportunity for organizations like [ISIS] to, again, grow,” he said. 

There’s a misconception that military action will stem terrorism. But military action won’t change a person’s beliefs.

“There are other forms of transformation that are required for someone to be willing to step out of that understanding of Islam into something else,” Samuel said.

Transformation comes through the gospel! That’s why it’s so important to pray for believers in West Africa and Syria. They are the witnesses for Christ in the midst of chaos today. 

“For the gospel to go forth in our part of the world and across Africa, I think we are going to be walking a path of suffering,” Samuel said. “I think Jesus told us that as much in His farewell discourse to us, and was very clear that ‘what they did to me, they will also do to you.'”

Suffering is a hard road to choose. Syrian believers desire stability just like most people in the world. 

“I was talking to a Syrian brother who said, ‘If they opened up the pathway for Christians in Syria to go to Canada, 70 percent of them would go, and I would be one of them that would be on the plane, ready to go right away,’” Samuel said. 

“May we just be in prayer for them and stand with them by being generous, by being encouraging, by sharing their story with others.”

*Pseudonym

Header photo: A minaret and a church steeple side-by-side in Syria. (Stock photo courtesy of Ali Wassouf/Unsplash)

In describing the PKK’s blended identity, Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says, “First and foremost, they are a political party, but then they do acts of terrorism.”

Listed as a terror group by Türkiye, the U.S., and the E.U., the PKK has killed more than 40,000 people – including civilians – in nearly 40 years of fighting with the Turkish government.

“They are behind various bombings that have occurred in Türkiye, as well as continual incursions from Iraq into Türkiye. Because of that, Türkiye has decided to press in[to northern Iraq], and they’re almost up to Duhok,” Samuel says.

Because PKK camps are Türkiye’s primary focus, Christians aren’t directly in the line of fire. However, “Any rising tension in our region means there’s the potential for expats living in those spaces, serving God [and] the community of Christ, to have to leave,” Samuel explains.

“All of that can have a detrimental effect [on] ongoing ministry.”

Pray believers will have Spirit-led boldness to proclaim the Gospel amid strife. Pray “that people would see again more of the failures of Islam and be challenged to look at what Christ offers, even through His beautiful Sermon on the Mount,” Samuel requests.

“[Pray] that people would see and experience Jesus in dreams and visions, and then they will be called to Him.”

Plus, “there is ongoing work in and around Duhok that is doing amazing things in the Yazidi population,” Samuel adds.

“God is working nicely, so we need to pray for stability so that work may continue.”

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts a Kurdish PKK guerilla in Iraq. (Wikimedia Commons)

Samuel* with Redemptive Stories says, “People you speak to on an everyday basis are far more opposed to that form of Islam because of what they saw and experienced during the time of ISIS.”

Iraq’s second-largest city fell to Islamic State control on June 10, 2014, as government forces retreated. Then, terrorists gave Mosul’s 1,200 Christian families a choice: renounce Christ and convert to Islam, pay a tax, or die.

“That (warning) doesn’t mean that all Christians could make it out. But many were able to make it into Iraqi Kurdistan,” Samuel says.

Huddled in refugee camps, believers followed devastating reports of their city under ISIS control. In 2017, Iranian-backed militia helped Iraq’s government wrestle Mosul back from ISIS control, but the ensuing battle left the city in pieces.

“International governments, as well as the UN, have done a wonderful job of trying to rebuild Mosul,” Samuel says.

“There is a sense of hope not just in terms of Christianity returning but also in the economic flourishing that’s taking place.”

Mosul remains primarily devoid of its once-thriving Christian community. “However, within the past few years, there has been some movement back, particularly into the villages on the outskirts of Mosul,” Samuel says.

“Christians are returning, mostly due to work and work opportunities.”

So far, only about 50 families have resettled in Mosul. Pray for more Iraqi Christians to return to share the Gospel with Muslim neighbors.

Pray specifically for “More encouragement, more boldness, so that God might do something big because people are asking questions,” Samuel says.

“They’ve seen the failures of Islam through ISIS, and they are beginning to ask more of those existential questions.”

Pray also for the provision of critical services like education. “There aren’t as many schools [available], so be praying that God would raise up opportunities for (local) churches to engage with education ministries so that more Christians may be able to return,” Samuel requests.

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts an ISIS militant with the ISIS flag. (Wikipedia)