Analysts suggest 2026 could be a pivotal year for Iran — but what has brought the country to this point, and how should Christians understand and respond to what is unfolding?

Transform Iran has spoken to our teams inside the country and documented the events that have transpired in recent weeks. This comprehensive article summarizes the key developments and offers analysis and a call to action for the Church and the Western leaders.

Why Iranians Are Protesting and How the Government Is Responding
Warnings and Preparedness for the Future

Why Iranians Are Protesting and How the Government Is Responding

On 28 December 2025, what began as a strike by shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar (in response to the collapse of the Iranian currency), quickly escalated into a national protest engulfing all 31 provinces and the broader issue of widespread national discontent with Iran’s Islamic Regime. Despite the rare high-level resignation of the Governor of Iran’s Central Bank (Bank Markazi) Mohammad Reza Farzin on December 29, authorities struggled to regain control.

There were initial nods to compromise and dialog: according to posts on X via Iranian state-linked social media accounts, President Pezeshkian tweeted, “The livelihood of the people is my daily concern”, adding that he had also asked the interior minister to “hear the legitimate demands of the protesters through dialogue with their representatives”. However, the anger of the people erupted such that the police began to take more decisive action. Iran’s top judiciary issued stern warnings with “no leniency” toward protesters. Supreme Leader Khamenei stressed that “rioters should be put in their place”. Reports indicate security forces later used lethal force including pellets and live ammunition, resulting in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, while state media downplayed the scale of unrest. (Exact death toll varies by source and is not verifiable. Transform Iran believes deaths exceed 15,000. Some activists claim they have surpassed 30,000).

Blame was also cast on the West for inciting violence and an alleged Israeli spy was executed.

Iranian Leaders Blame Israel and USA

In a nationally televised address, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting at the behest of foreign powers: “A bunch of vandals came out in Tehran and other places and destroyed buildings belonging to their own country just to please the president of the US. That’s because he made the absurd claim that he supports you rioters and people who are harmful to the country. If he’s capable, he should run his own country.” He added that “a group of inexperienced and careless people believe him and act according to his wishes. Let everyone know that the Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of several hundred thousand honorable people and it will not back down in the face of those who deny this.”

On January 8, 2026, authorities also imposed a near‑total nationwide internet blackout, significantly restricting communications and independent reporting. This was swiftly followed by reports of power cuts, in what seemed a desperate attempt to limit the people’s ability to organize themselves. According to monitoring groups and international media, Iranian state media initially downplayed the scale of the unrest, denying protests had taken place altogether, and even posted videos of empty streets.

And the cries of the people kept gathering momentum.

Eyewitness Accounts Reveal Urgent Humanitarian Crisis in Iran

Iranians have since been praised for their courage, unity and resolve – but in truth, the overarching emotion here is desperation – and hope against all odds, fueled by promises from the West. For nearly five decades the Islamic regime in Iran has brutalized its own people. Year after year, more of their freedom and dignity has been stripped away. The people have borne the weight of most of this. But we are now in a situation that has driven a much more urgent, carnal response: the people are dying. Food and medicines have become more and more unaffordable and inaccessible to the point that even beyond the ideological fight for freedom, there is now an urgent fight for survival.

In Iran now, nearly everyone knows someone who has been murdered by the government, creating a pervasive atmosphere of fear that is suffocating courage, but fueling anger. The country is effectively in a state of siege, where even opening a window risks being shot at by security forces patrolling the streets. Many Iranians feel trapped in their own homes, facing relentless intimidation and violence.

Reports reveal that authorities are withholding the bodies of deceased protesters from their families unless they pay a significant fee, often exceeding $4,500, a substantial sum in the Iranian context. Families unable to pay may find their loved ones buried in mass graves, while those who can afford the fee must endure the harrowing experience of identifying their relatives among rows of body bags. These actions are part of a broader strategy of control and intimidation.

Eyewitnesses claim injured individuals have taken extraordinary measures to avoid detection by authorities. One particularly chilling account includes a man who, having been injured, resorted to hiding in a body bag for three days to avoid being shot by security forces. Such stories illustrate the extreme lengths to which individuals are going under the current regime of violence and repression.

The question is, will the West watch in sympathy or even horror, or will they come to the aid of millions fighting with their very lives for a different future?

Leadership Statements: Trump and Crown Prince Pahlavi Inspire Iranian Protests

When protests begun, Iranians were spurred on by the words of US President Trump and Crown Prince Pahlavi:

“We’re watching it very closely. If they start killing people, like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.” – Trump, January 4, 2026, to reporters aboard Air Force One

“Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are fixed upon you. Take to the streets and, in united ranks, shout out your demands.” And “My compatriots … the world has not only seen and heard your courage and voice but is taking action. … Continue the fight … Don’t let this regime portray the situation as normal.” – Pahlavi, January 8 & 13, 2026, via video and Social Media posts

Many who may otherwise have stayed safely at home, took to the streets. Hope was ignited. We are watching in horror now as thousands upon thousands of Iranians are being killed, wondering if help is on its way.

This is the hard truth: in and of themselves, the people cannot topple this regime. They are unarmed and have no access to vital infrastructure including communications and power.

Turning off the Internet and electricity (in an attempt to silence and dispel the crowds) also has a significant negative impact on what’s left of Iranian businesses. Estimates say that each day of Internet shutdown costs the country’s economy over $37 million. People can’t access their money in the bank. Even the embassies can’t operate properly. This drastic long-term shutdown displays the depth of worry and fear in Iran’s leaders. They know full well if they don’t regain control, there is nowhere else for them to go. They must retain power or lose everything

Despite all this, emboldened by the promises of incoming help, the people of Iran have put everything they have on the line.

Iran Diaspora Demonstrations: Uniting in Solidarity

Wide-reaching protests from Iranians living abroad reflect unprecedented support for those protesting in Iran against their government. At least 168 protests have been held by Iranians abroad across 30 countries and 73 cities, with significant participation in North American cities including Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal and New York, European cities including London, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Stockholm, as well as Oceanian cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

One source reported attendance of approximately a hundred thousand people at one of the largest Iranian-led rallies held in Toronto on January 16, despite severe weather conditions and extreme cold (around -20°C or -4°F). In Los Angeles, home to one of the largest Iranian diaspora, thousands participated in protests on January 18. In London, a protestor climbed onto the roof of the Iranian embassy in London and removed the Republic’s flag, replacing it with the pre-revolutionary ‘Lion and Sun’ flag that remains a symbol of national pride for many Iranians, especially among those who oppose the current regime. Local Metropolitan police took the protest seriously, imposing a dispersal order and barricading the area around the Iranian embassy the next day. Germany, which hosted the most protests organized by the Iranian diaspora, reportedly held 27 rallies from January 11 to 20, as part of the solidarity movements.

Transform Iran Leaders’ Warning to Iranian Regime

Throughout 2025, leading pastors in Transform Iran pleaded directly with Iranian authorities during live broadcasts, urging them to cease their harmful, evil actions. The Scriptures warn that those who curse Israel will themselves be cursed. The message was always the same: repent and heed the cries of the nation, or disaster will ensue. Sadly, not only were these calls for justice ignored, but Iranian state media also demonstrated a ‘doubling down’ on the curses directed towards Israel. It is evident that the Iranian government has no interest in changing its ways.

This regime is not a people’s regime; it has been established to wage an Islamic war against Israel. Early on, the first Supreme Leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, famously stated, “We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world.”

During the 12-day war in June 2025, one ayatollah reportedly declared, “We are ready for 30 million Iranians to die if it means we can wipe out the cancerous tumor that is Israel”.

Now, we find ourselves past the tipping point. The people have discovered their voice, unity, and courage, and they are fighting back. Meanwhile, the country’s leaders are acting as if they are planning their exits because they recognize that their time is running out. Certainly, a few of the most senior leaders with connections will manage to secure safety for themselves and their families. But what will happen to the tens of thousands left behind? This desperation drives them to fight shamelessly; they are afraid of the people.

The Rats Are Fleeing the Sinking Ship

Ayatollahs and other senior leaders in Iran, who have long projected unwavering defiance, are now quietly preparing their escape plans, even as they issue orders that could lead to the deaths of thousands of protesters. Islamic clerics are retreating into the shadows, often disguising themselves in civilian clothing to avoid being associated with the religion of the regime they represent.

Recent reports highlight a poignant moment when the daughter of a prominent government figure called into a secular Iranian television channel (broadcasting from outside Iran), crying live on air in desperation: “I hate my father for what he’s done to our people. My mother hates him too. I don’t know what to do! He has created passports for us all under different names and packed our suitcases, filling them with U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, he continues to give orders to kill the people on the streets.”

Thousands of Protesters Dead, but Iranians Remain Resolute

While accurate and verified figures on the death toll remain elusive, it is evident that the number of casualties has reached into the tens of thousands. Firsthand reports – detailing death tolls in villages and towns, along with harrowing images of rows upon rows of young individuals taken in their prime – indicate that even conservative estimates of 5,000 are far below the reality.

Despite the unimaginable suffering, a growing sense of hope prevails among the people, who chant: “This is the final battle; Pahlavi will return,” and “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, my life for Iran.” (The latter reflects frustration at their leaders’ overinvestment in foreign conflicts while their own citizens endure hardship.)

People have told us, “The time for mourning will come. For now, we are resolved to finish this task”. It is unthinkable for such a catastrophic loss of life to have been for nothing.

Why These Protests Are Different

Unlike previous uprisings (most notably 2009 Green Movement, 2022 Woman-Life-Freedom), this protest:

• Involves participants from all demographics and walks of life, not just activists
• Has shifted focus from economic issues to become purely anti-regime
• Demonstrates unprecedented national and international solidarity

They began protesting the fall of the Rial but there is no mention of that in their chants any more. The millions on the streets are demanding the end of their wicked regime.

Warnings and Preparedness for the Future

For this historic time – one for which we have prophesied, prayed, and relentlessly prepared – there is a pressing need for fervent united prayer (and action!) to facilitate a miraculous transition that will elevate Iran from darkness to light. We have endured years of plunder, pain, and despair. Now it is time for investment, healing, and hope. Where Iran has once cursed the world, it shall again bless it, reflecting how Iranian rulers have historically supported the people of God.

Transform Iran is praying and believing that 2026 will be remembered as the year of the ‘Favor of our God upon Iran’. We stand at a pivotal moment to reverse the curses pronounced over the nation for 47 years and to become a blessing to the nations.

The pressing concern is what will happen when (not if) Iran opens up. Firstly, the Church must be ready with evangelists, pastors, Bibles, resources, and much-needed aid. Secondly, we must not repeat the mistakes of the past and allow Western self-interest to overshadow the needs of the people. If we fail on either front, Iran may well repeat the tragic stories of Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq. The nation will need rebuilding built on honesty and sincerity to prevent it from descending into chaos. Otherwise, we risk allowing every other influence, rather than the Church, to fill the vacuum of leadership.

Areas for Global Church Prayer and Action:

• Prepare to Feed the Masses: Food shortages are imminent. Iranian leaders are stockpiling non-perishable goods, distributing them among their own. We must be ready to meet the needs of the population as food becomes increasingly scarce.
• Discourage Insurgents: Actively work to disempower insurgents from neighboring countries, primarily Iraq, who may flood into Iran amid the chaos.
• Justice for Crimes Committed: Ensure that the perpetrators of the crimes committed over the last 47 years face justice and do not find safe haven abroad.
• Seize Plundered Wealth: Advocate for the recovery of the trillion dollars in plundered wealth by the current ruling elite, directing it into a National Reconstruction Fund.
• Support the Crown Prince: Provide official endorsements to the Crown Prince and allow him the opportunity to form an interim government, leading to a referendum where the people can choose their future leaders.
• Protect National Unity: Actively work to maintain the unity of the nation to avoid balkanization.
• Prepare Support Teams: Prepare teams of ministers in churches across the West to be ready to step in with practical help when doors open. These teams can support indigenous ministries and take provisions for aid and to help rebuild. They can also be prepared to offer spiritual and physical healing for the sick and wounded.

As the Ayatollahs fall, a power vacuum will certainly emerge, leading to potential retribution against those responsible for the suffering of millions. Iranians know the perpetrators of the dark deeds against their families and may seek brutal vengeance. Pray for the spirit of vengeance not to ravage what remains of our country.

Iran is on the cusp of significant change. With prayerful and purposeful preparation, we can ensure it is a change for good. Through the united and sincere efforts of Iranians and Westerners, we can create a beautiful democracy that will be a blessing to its people and to nations around the world.

Pray – and Get Ready for Action

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Header and inset photo credit: www.iranintl.com