The majority of media in the world could not ignore the protests that erupted in Iran on 28 December 2025. They began with bazaari (shopkeepers) frustration over record-high inflation, rising food prices, and the rapid depreciation of the currency.

From there, they spread to other parts of the country. As the situation was not addressed by the government, the protests continued to widen. People, worn down by the collapsing economy and the decisions of the regime — despite Iran’s rich natural resources — felt they had nothing left to lose. Apart from their lives.

For many, a realistic scenario for government change seemed tied to the possible return of Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah and a symbolic figure for parts of the opposition. Some believed that restoring elements of pre-1979 Iran could offer a way forward. This perception stirred a reaction from Pahlavi himself. He called for peaceful protests on 8 and 9 January, urging people to come out, encouraged by his public alignment with democratic values and by apparent support from foreign leaders. President Trump himself posted on X, that “the help is on the way”.

Many demonstrators believed that international backing — particularly from the United States and its allies — would lead to swift support. Instead, the Iranian government cut internet and phone access, plunging people into communication and informational darkness, blackout.

Some of our friends later shared that during the protests people looked up at the sky, believing at any moment they might see military aircraft dispatched to help them. Yet the sky remained empty

In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote that during his time in the concentration camps, those who withered fastest were often the ones who had lost hope or placed their survival in external events — hope that others would intervene.

Iranian protesters were promised rescue, and they have risked their most precious values — their own lives and the lives of their families — on the belief that help might come. The responsibility of a promise to desperate people – is hard to overestimate.

Though the outcome is still uncertain and there are rumors of allied military presence around the region, it remains hard to predict what will actually happen.

So far, human rights groups and opposition sources say the regime’s crackdown has left thousands dead and many more injured. Exact numbers are hard to verify, but some reports claim the toll is far higher — more than 45,000 killed and hundreds of thousands injured.

Many did not have a chance to hear the Gospel or meet a believer.

This is a sobering number for the global church. Every encounter with those suffering — whether face to face or online — is an opportunity to share the light of their Savior. Christians are still commissioned to support those who are praying for hope in Iran.

Hebrews 6:19: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”

Viktor Frankl also wrote that people who had a purpose, or a deeply held spiritual foundation, were more likely to survive the suffering they were forced to endure. We pray that all who are enduring hardship may find a sense of purpose through the divine nature and the hope of Christ that transcends circumstances.

Be a voice of Gospel hope for the Iranians you know, and pray that God brings more people across your path.

Cross the bridge to Persians with us!