Uncertainty surrounds possible U.S. military action. At the same time, Western officials warn Tehran could retaliate by targeting American bases or sites in Europe.

Tehran (Photo courtesy of Mdreza Jalali via Unsplash)

While diplomacy unfolds outside Iran’s borders, many inside the country are on an emotional rollercoaster as Western messaging shifts. Hormoz Shariat with Iran Alive Ministries explains:

“One day Trump says we’re going to attack, and people say, ‘Yes, Trump, come on — get rid of him. We can’t do this without you.’ The next day he says, ‘I’m negotiating with them,’ and people go, ‘No, no.’”

Many fear war, but even more fear the current government staying in power — and that protestors’ sacrifices will be forgotten.

“It just shows the depth of hopelessness among the people of Iran — or any people — that they would ask foreign nations, ‘Would you attack us?’” says Shariat.

However, any military action would be complex and unpredictable. Pray for the people of Iran to remain alert and prepared for whatever may unfold.

Photo courtesy by Ehsan Doostmohammadi via Wikimedia Commons

Meanwhile, pressure inside the country continues to mount, with reports of arrests, harsh sentences, and executions used to instill fear. “One cleric said that if we have to kill one million Iranians — not for us, but for Islam to stay in power — we will do it,” says Shariat.

According to Shariat, last year executions averaged five per day, reinforcing fear across the nation. Despite the risks, students continue to lead protests in some cities, and some Iranians openly voice support for Reza Pahlavi from their windows at night.

In the meantime, the Church carries a significant responsibility. The deeper tragedy is that many Iranians die without knowing their Savior. Shariat urges:

“So pray for the salvation of many — but not only that. Pray they would grow into a deep relationship with Christ, become disciples, and be agents of transformation.”

He also asks believers to pray for strength and boldness as Iranian Christians care for others and share their faith:

“Many people have come to Christ in the homes of Christians who are taking care of the wounded,” Shariat says.

Header photo: Iranian protest in Canada (Photo courtesy of Sima Ghaffarzadeh via Pexels).

Women in Iran wearing the traditional hijab and loose-fitting clothing required by sharia law. (Photo courtesy of mostafa meraji/Unsplash)

Israel is among those concerned about Iran’s nuclear enrichment program. It has stated that it will not allow Iran to rebuild its nuclear capacities. But Iran insists that its developments are only for civilian purposes. 

It’s complex, isn’t it? Samuel* from Redemptive Stories explains a few things about Iran’s relationships that we might miss. First comes Israel. Why does the Iranian regime want Israel off the map? 

“It’s more complicated than just all ‘Oh, they are Muslims and those are Jews and so they hate each other,'” Samuel says. “There [are] other political and even economic factors that play into this frustration, angst, and hatred that goes back and forth between them.” 

For example, Israel has a voice in the Middle East as an ally of certain Western powers.

“The sanctions that are put on Iran, at least in part, are all related to Israel’s sentiments towards Iran, and the power that they wield within the US as well as Europe,” says Samuel.

The enmity has manifested itself in many conflicts. For years, Iran has waged war with Israel through proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. It has leveraged its influence in nations and groups with high numbers of Shia Muslims, such as Syria and Iraq.

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

“Iran — they’re 94% Shia. Therefore, they are viewed, at least because of their power and their position, as the heart of Shia Islam,” explains Samuel.

“So Hezbollah, being Shia, also leans back to look to Iran for help. And Iran is helping. That is why Israel continues to bomb in the south of Lebanon and to attack targets that are there, because Hezbollah has so far resisted any thoughts of disarming.”

Conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Israel and Iran have brought devastation, but “God is a friend near to those that walk through pain,” Samuel says. Pray that there will be enough peace in the Middle East for Christians to bring the love of Christ to the people suffering.

“If you look at the 20 points that have been laid out for Gaza [in the ceasefire deal], they really create opportunities for human flourishing to really occur in that area,” says Samuel. “But is there enough trust to walk them out? That is a different question.” 

*Pseudonym

Header photo: Tafresh, Markazi Province, Iran (Photo courtesy of Mostafa Meraji 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)

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says their indigenous partners in both nations are feeling the effects of uncertainty and travel restrictions. Regions of northern India outside of Kashmir — Jammu and Delhi, Kelley says — are also impacted. 

“Then you add in the fact that you’ve got nuclear powers — so you’ve got people with historical hatred towards each other, and the ability to wipe out thousands and thousands of people. [It] is a very precarious situation,” Kelley adds.

“For so many different reasons, a ceasefire couldn’t have come quick enough, because this is a tinder box just ready to explode.”

(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

But Kelley says that as Christians, we must look through the spiritual lens, not merely the physical.

Hindu-majority India has the world’s highest concentration of unreached people groups. Meanwhile, Pakistan is the second largest Muslim-majority nation in the world. 

“As with any issue that’s country to country where hatred is so deep, it’s a matter of the heart, which means the only answer is the gospel,” says Kelley. 

So, how can the Body of Christ position itself for spreading the gospel? Unknown Nations’ partners are already on the ground in this border conflict. “These people are deployed on a daily basis. They’re distributing our solar-powered audio Bible[s]. We do water projects. We train these leaders, and then second-generation leaders,” Kelley says.

“When we’re talking about countries like India and Pakistan, we have to build a ground game where there [are] leaders on the ground that are properly equipped to share the gospel and multiply. That’s where a lot of our efforts are at.”

Kelley recognizes that people who have lost everything will quickly begin to question their worldview.

“This (situation in Kashmir) is beginning to get to the place of an insecurity among the people where they are questioning,” he says. “Both of those worldviews (Islam, Hinduism) — that’s the second and third largest religions in the world — are going to be open to the gospel now.”

As a member of the global church, consider how you might deploy your resources to hotspot areas like the India-Pakistan border, starting with your prayers.

“We need to pray intentionally, but with the right kind of vocabulary: not country-oriented, but people-group oriented,” Kelley says.

(Image courtesy of congerdesign via Pixabay)

Don’t know where to start? Visit Joshua Project’s webpages for India and Pakistan, and choose one of the unreached people groups on their lists. You can start with the Yadav people in India, or the massive Pashtun people in Pakistan. 

Learn more about Unknown Nations here.

Photo from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, India (Courtesy of Jannes Jacobs via Unsplash).

Eric Mock with Slavic Gospel Association says, “This horrific experience has become normal for the people in eastern Ukraine, and so it changes the mindset that they have.”

Residential building in Zaporizhzhia after Russian bombing on 1 October 2024. One person was killed and 35 injured (Photo, caption courtesy of Zoda.gov.ua via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

Citizens of Zaporizhzhia, in the partly occupied territory by the same name, have landed on a new way to protect their children. 

“The recent announcement that they were building an elementary school underground in the city of Zaporizhzhia — the very important city of Zaporizhzhia — was stunning to us in America. Why would you build an elementary school under underground? In fact, an elementary school that will have a roof that is hardened to withstand both conventional weapon and nuclear attack?” Mock says. 

You would if your city was experiencing constant shelling and there was a nearby nuclear power plant currently under Russian control. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant came under attack back in March of 2022.

“It is this transition that is happening from ‘The war could be over soon. We just need to come up with the right strategy,’ to ‘This may be our new normal,’” says Mock.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is nearing its 1,000th day. (Track the war’s history here.) In all of this, SGA has partnered with local believers in Ukraine who are pressing forward the kingdom of God, by God’s grace. Would you pray with them for the peace of God that surpasses understanding? 

“It would be too easy for me to say, ‘Pray for peace.’ Of course we want to do that, but John 14:27 reminds us that the peace that God gives us is not necessarily the peace of solving all the earthly problems,” Mock says. “Otherwise, Christ’s presence and promise of coming back again would seemingly not change anything.”

Learn more about SGA here. Be encouraged that God is building His church even in war zones.

“Let us pray that peace prevails in the hearts of the churches there, and so greatly that they proclaim that peace to anyone without fear,” Mock says.

“Pray that the faithful believers will be consumed with Christ and be a bold witness in whatever situation they find themselves.”

Header photo: Residential building in Zaporizhzhia after Russian bombing in the morning of 29 September 2024. According to the preliminary data, 13 bombs FAB-500 were dropped. 16 people were injured in the city. Several private houses, an apartment building, train and a railway station were partially destroyed. Photo and caption courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 

So what does rebuilding look like? MNN’s own Ruth Kramer sat down with A3’s Joshua Hari at the Lausanne Conference to discuss Japan’s past, present, and future.

“After the disaster, God’s [been] teaching us how to collaborate as a body of Christ in Japan. It’s been more than 13 years, and still[…] [Christians] emphasize the importance of collaboration.”

In the wake of the triple disaster, the local church – in collaboration with the global church – established a network for disaster relief and compassionate support. In the midst of working toward practical recovery, the Church in Japan set another goal – help 2% of Japan’s population find Jesus by the year 2030.

“In order to get to 2% of the Christian population, we need 50,000 churches,” Hari says. “Then each local church would have 58 members.”

Unfortunately, another more recent disaster has shaken the nation once again. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic shook the entire globe. In Japan, many pastors began to resign in a pattern similar to the aftermath of the Triple Disaster.

“We need some spiritual revival to happen in Japan,” Hari says. “Pray for collaboration so that we could see Christ-centered movement happen in Japan.”

Joshua Hari and A3 are calling on the global Church to come alongside Japan’s believers the same way she did after the Triple Disaster. “We need to collaborate together towards the same goal, towards the same visions, to reaching the 2%,” he says. “Pray for us, for wisdom, and for God’s guidance towards the next step.”

Learn more about A3’s work right here. Follow Mission Network News for more updates on the work of the global body of believers.

Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

The United States and other Western countries have provided Ukraine with longer-range missiles, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking for the green light to use these weapons to hit strategic Russian targets.

Eric Mock from Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) explains, “He (Putin) would consider that a red line where weaponry that was used to hit deeper inside Russia that came from these developed Western nations would in fact signal that, de facto, these nations were, in a sense, in a war with Russia, and He would respond as though the Western nations were directly assaulting Russia.”

Additionally, Putin hinted in his statement that he would look at a nuclear response if Western long-range missiles were used to strike Russia.

(Photo courtesy of SGA)

As tensions rise, the situation grows more precarious for both nations. Despite the escalating rhetoric, SGA continues to support Christians both in Russia and Ukraine. “That’s why SGA, in hearing some of these threats and from some of these military concerns, has stayed consistent because our vision of serving God’s Church and helping them reach their own really remains untarnished,” says Mock.

The pressure on churches in both countries is immense as they navigate the challenges of war.

Mock says, “For the churches, both on the Ukrainian and the Russian side, it increasingly puts pressure on them to respond, not in national issues, but in a Gospel-centric way.”

Pray for Russian and Ukrainian believers to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and seek unity within the Body of Christ.

You can partner with them to advance the heart of the Gospel in this war-torn region. Get started at SGA’s website.

Header photo of President of Russia Vladimir Putin meeting with government members via video conference on March 10, 2022.
(Wikimedia Commons)

“Iran (is) at the verge of a historical point where they can have a positive impact in the world, or very negative, and maybe both at the same time,” says Dr. Hormoz Shariat with Iran Alive. 

He says Iran is not shy about its development of nuclear weapons, but at the same time, an amazing thing is happening as Iranians turn away from Islam and open to the gospel.

“The Iranian believers, (when) they come to Christ, they naturally develop a love for God, a love for people and — are you ready to hear that? — a love for nations! Can you believe it?” Shariat says.

“They say ‘We have a heart for Arabs, we have a heart for Hindus, we have a heart for the Jews. I want to go to Jerusalem and share the gospel with the Jews.’ That’s a God-given desire growing in the hearts of persecuted Iranian Christians.”

Photo courtesy of Lara Jameson via Pexels.

Pray not just for God to reveal Himself to Iranians through the ministries of Iran Alive, but also pray for the Church in the West to invest in this movement of God.

“The Church in the West has so much to offer in terms of spiritual experience, church experience, ministry experience, resources, both biblical resources and financial resources. Pray for the Church in the West to wake up and see what God is doing around the world so they can join God,” Shariat says. 

“God is making history in many nations in the world, and Iran as a nation will be the first Islamic nation that turns to Christ.” 

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Mhrezaa/Unsplash. 

Iran’s geopolitical saber-rattling and nuclear threats fill the headlines while discontent swells at home.

Protestors are back in the streets in at least ten cities, including Mahsa Amini’s hometown. Amini has become the “face” of anti-government protests, and officials want to hide her grave to squelch the protest movement. Amini’s death in police custody sparked nationwide protests last year.

“There [is] a lot that the government thinks has been burned away and silenced. But there is fire under the ashes,” Transform Iran’s Lana Silk says.

“When [the] wind comes and blows it all up again, those sparks will engulf that whole region. There is much more to come still.”

The next catalyst could be Iran’s failing economy. Or the death of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The 84-year-old leader has no clear successor. The battle for control after Khamenei eventually dies will be intense.

Uncertainty often drives people to truth and meaning.
(Photo courtesy of Transform Iran)

Whatever the winds of change may bring, “there is a sense of urgency now to make sure we are prepared and focused because there will be a window of opportunity” to reach Iran’s people, Silk says.

Uncertainty often drives people to truth and meaning. “We better be sure the (Gospel) truth is front and center when those doors open,” Silk says.

“I don’t know how long that great hunger the people of Iran have will last before all sorts of alternatives quench it.”

Support Transform Iran’s efforts here.

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“Be informed, tell others about it, and pray,” Silk says.

“Prayer is so powerful, so active, and so effective. We must not diminish the power of the global Church knowing what’s happening and praying about it.”

Header image courtesy of Transform Iran.

Last week, Iran tested ballistic missiles as the U.S. worked with allies to safeguard ships in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Middle East Monitor, Russia predicts “full-scale armed conflict” in the region.

Unfortunately, these sky-high political tensions have led to a crackdown within Iran, explains Heart 4 Iran’s Mike Ansari. “In the last few weeks, [the] Iranian government has announced the arrest of multiple Iranian citizens who were allegedly CIA spies,” he says.

“In light of the recent sanctions, Iranian authorities are increasing the pressure on Western governments to loosen up the restrictions imposed on Iran.”

Authorities often target believers for accusation and arrest.

Life for believers inside Iran

Earlier this year, Open Doors USA placed Iran at #9 on its World Watch List – a ranking of 50 nations where following Christ is most difficult. By law, Christians cannot share their faith with non-Christians. Believers from a Muslim background face the most oppression because Islamic law governs Iran; society views converts as apostates.

“In Iran, conversion from Islam to Christianity – known as apostasy – is strictly forbidden. In fact, Iranian religious rulers have publicly advocated for the death penalty as a punishment for apostasy,” Ansari explains.

“When a Muslim converts to Christianity, they are warned, persecuted, [sometimes] arrested, and their belongings are confiscated.”

For converts who leave Iran, return could mean imprisonment and severe persecution. “Case in point – Mrs. Fatemeh Azad, a 58-year-old Iranian convert to Christianity who fled Iran, sought refuge in Germany, but was denied asylum and deported back to Iran,” Ansari describes.

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Iran)

“Upon her return, she was arrested and released on bail.”

As reported here by International Christian Concern:

When Fatemeh made her asylum appeal, her lawyers argued that apostasy (conversion away from Islam) is punishable by the death penalty in Iran. This penalty has not been issued in Iran for several years, in large part thanks to international pressure. However, Iran regularly imprisons converts for years. Christians are commonly charged with “acting against national security” and can face a prison sentence of up to 15 years with this charge.

“The Iranian Christian community in diaspora is concerned with the safety and well-being of Mrs. Azad while she resides in Iran,” Ansari says.

How to help

Mrs. Azad’s case represents a larger challenge, he adds. That’s an urgent matter for which you can pray.

“The real concern for Mrs. Azad is that Iranian authorities may use her as a pawn to not only instill fear in the heart of their own people, but challenge the international community on human rights and religious freedom in Iran.”

Ask the Lord to comfort and encourage Fatemeh Azad during her imprisonment. Pray for her safety, Ansari requests, and “pray for the multitude of Iranian refugees who have legitimately fled Iran and can’t go back.”

Heart4Iran partners with over 100 groups to bring the love and hope of Jesus Christ to the people of Iran. Learn more here.

Header image courtesy of Open Doors USA.