Transform Iran president speaks to TWR UK radio about protests, persecution, and powerful spiritual hunger

As protests continue across Iran, reports suggest the death toll could be as high as 2,000 people. The unrest comes as U.S. President Donald Trump announced immediate 25 percent tariffs on any country doing business with Iran, affecting nations including China, Russia, Turkey, Brazil, and the UAE. He also said military action was being considered to protect Iranian protesters.

Against this backdrop, Lana Silk, newly appointed president of Transform Iran, spoke with Amy on TWR Radio UK about the crisis, her personal story, and why hope is still alive inside one of the world’s most repressive regimes.

Born Into Revolution

Silk was born in Iran at the time of the Islamic Revolution and grew up under the Islamic Republic’s strict system.

“All I’ve ever known is this version of Iran,” she said. She recalled how schoolchildren were required to chant slogans like “death to America” and “death to Israel,” describing an education system saturated with ideology and hostility toward the West.

“You don’t just learn it in history or religion,” she explained. “It flavors everything, even mathematics and science. It’s part of everyday life.”

As a Christian child, she also learned early that faith had to be hidden.

You have to navigate that ‘where I live, I can’t talk about my faith openly’ – and that’s hard for children.

The Birth of Transform Iran

Transform Iran was founded by Silk’s parents, Lazarus and Maggie Yeghnazar, Iranian believers who served in the church inside Iran for many years. After the Iran-Iraq war, they sensed God calling them to leave the country, just as persecution was intensifying.

God told them Iran was about to become a much more hostile environment for Christians. The church was going to be driven underground.

Their calling was clear: to support, strengthen, and resource a persecuted but rapidly growing underground church. That mission continues today, with Silk stepping into leadership after serving in the ministry her entire life.

Pain and Unmistakable Hope

Speaking about the current protests, Silk shared the emotional weight of watching events unfold.

“People are literally paying for what they’re fighting for with their lives,” she said. “The ramifications will be tens of thousands of families ripped apart.”

She described nearly 50 years of hardship: economic collapse, lack of opportunity, and a future so bleak that many young people no longer marry or have children.

Yet, amid the devastation, Silk sees signs of change. “There’s more critical mass this time,” she said. “People are louder. There are more defectors.”

She described videos showing police laying down their weapons, officers refusing to defend the regime, and Islamic clerics fleeing or disguising themselves.

This is all different to how it’s been before. There’s a sense of – do we dare to hope?

For more on the escalating situation in Iran

“God Is in Control”

As incoming president of Transform Iran, Silk says these moments reinforce her confidence in God’s work among the Iranian people.

This is God’s dream, His mission. We’re just riding the wave of what He’s doing.

She pointed to widespread reports of Iranians encountering Jesus through dreams and visions.

“What an honor and privilege it is to align ourselves with that,” she said. “To be on the winning team.”

Transform Iran has prayed for years for change in Iran, and now, Silk says, the challenge is faith in action. “When we pray for things, do we really believe God is going to do something?” she asked. “If we do, then we prepare for the answer.”

A Global Call to Prayer

Silk closed with a strong appeal to believers worldwide.

The minute we lose sight of the fact that this is a spiritual battle, we’ve already lost it.

She emphasized that while practical efforts matter – church planting, Bible translation, leadership training – none can replace prayer. “We need the support of our brothers and sisters,” she said. “Please pray for us. God is working. Look at what’s happening in Iran.”

She added that what happens in Iran will affect far more than one nation. “If Iran is fixed,” she said, “the ramifications go well beyond its borders.”

For more specific prayer points for Iran

Originally published on: TWR UK