|
Pray for the release of these Christians. Pray that they will come into a deeper relationship with Christ as they embrace the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:7-10). Ask God to strengthen and encourage their families during this difficult time.
Learn more about how Christians are persecuted in Iran by visiting the Iran Country Report. The feature article in the February edition of VOMC's monthly newsletter focuses on the persecution of Christians in Iran. Click here to subscribe.
By funding television broadcasts, VOMC is making it possible for a vast audience of viewers to be reached throughout Iran with the "Good News" of Jesus' love via satellite.
Project Fund: Underground Church
Designation
Persecuted
Population
87,590,873 (2023 est.)
Ethnicity
Persian, Azeri, Kurd, Lur, Baloch, Arab, Turkmen and Turkic tribes
Religion (%)
Islam (98.5), Christian (0.7), Baha'i (0.3), agnostic (0.3), other (0.2)
Leader
Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-Khamenei (1989)
Government type
Theocratic republic
Legal system
Religious legal system based on secular and Islamic law
Source: CIA World Factbook
As the Gospel message goes forth over the airwaves, may the growth of the church continue to multiply despite persecution. Pray that the Iranian government will be open to change, allowing full rights and protection for its non-Muslim citizens as well. In the meantime, may those who are forced to flee the country find safe refuge and help so they can live in peace and worship the Lord with freedom.
In June 2024, five Christian converts in Iran were arrested because of their faith. More than a year later, on July 16th, these believers were convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly promoting "propaganda." Little information is available about the five detained Christians, and only three of them have been identified thus far. The charges stem from their attendance at Biblical training courses in Türkiye, as well as their involvement with house churches and online Christian events in Iran.
Iran's Supreme Court has recently rejected the application for a retrial that was submitted on behalf of Mehran Shamloui, a Christian believer who is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence for his participation in house church activities. Recipients of previously published Persecution & Prayer Alert reports may recall that Mehran had fled to Türkiye in search of refuge. While there, the accused Iranian was apprehended and forced to return to Iran, where he had subsequently been arrested. (The initially posted report regarding Mehran's arrest may be reviewed here.)
Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) recently reported that over 50 Christians have been arrested since the end of the recent conflict between Iran and Israel in June 2025. The country's intelligence agency labelled the detained believers as "Mossad mercenaries," claiming that they had been trained by churches abroad and were now operating "under the guise of the Zionist Christian evangelization movement."
On March 8th, Mehran Shamloui was one of three Christians convicted in Iran for "propaganda" and membership in an alleged "opposition group." He was sentenced to more than ten years in prison. (For more details, see this report.)
