Iran is the 17th-largest country in the world and the world’s 17th-most populous country. It has one of the world's oldest civilizations. In 1979 the current Islamic theocracy was established. Ultimate authority is vested in the "Supreme Leader"; a position held by Ali Khamenei since the death of his father in 1989. Beginning on December 28, 2025, demonstrations against the government erupted across Iran. This has been the largest uprising since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A brutal government crackdown followed. A network of Iranian doctors within the country calculated that "at least 16,500-18,000 people had been killed and 330,000 injured”. The crackdown has been so severe that the protests have stopped. A curfew and an internet blackout remain in place.
Country Stats
Capital City: Tehran
Government: Unitary Theocratic Islamic Republic
Major People Groups: Persians, Kurds, Turkmens, Azerbaijanis, Baloch, Gilaks, Qashqai, Lurs, Romani, Mazanderani, Bakhtiari, (and 80 others)
Population: 92,310,000 (Joshua Project)
Religion: 90-95% Twelver Shi'a Islam, ~5% Suni Islam, 1.8% Christianity, ~1% other
Government: Unitary Theocratic Islamic Republic
Major People Groups: Persians, Kurds, Turkmens, Azerbaijanis, Baloch, Gilaks, Qashqai, Lurs, Romani, Mazanderani, Bakhtiari, (and 80 others)
Population: 92,310,000 (Joshua Project)
Religion: 90-95% Twelver Shi'a Islam, ~5% Suni Islam, 1.8% Christianity, ~1% other
Whenever people from Muslim backgrounds become Christians, they are at great risk of being prosecuted for 'crimes against national security'. Iranian house-church leaders and members have received long prison sentences. Following the 2025 Iran-Israel war, converts are now branded as spies and collaborators. The recent protests have led to increased arrests of Christians. Most are incarcerated in Iran’s infamous Evin Prison, where they are subjected to beatings, electric shocks, mock executions, prolonged solitary confinement, forced confessions, and sexual abuse. But the gates of hell have not prevailed, and God is building his Church. Iran has one of the fastest growing evangelical churches in the world. Twenty years ago, there were an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 evangelical Christians in Iran. Today there are an estimated one to two million believers.
How to Pray
- Pray that the Lord will preserve the faith of our Iranian brothers and sisters, especially those facing persecution.
- Pray for the Islamic political system to be demolished.
- Pray for the persecution, torture, and killing to end.
- Pray that many will come to faith through the faithful witness of courageous believers.
