At Least 21 Christians Arrested In Iran Under Heightened Persecution
Iran is increasingly persecuting Christians under its ceasefire with Israel, arresting at least 21 believers, raiding house churches and promoting incendiary propaganda, according to religious freedom advocate Article 18.
The arrests took place in Tehran, Rasht, Orumiyeh, Kermanshah and Varamin, Article 18 reported, adding it was verifying multiple reports of additional arrests as recently as July 10. No updates had been issued as of July 15.
READ: Why Iranians Are Rejecting Islam And Embracing Christianity
Converts from Islam are especially targeted under the pretense of national security, said Nathan Rostampour, who ministers to Iranian Christians as Persian ministry director of the multisite Summit Church based in Durham, N.C.
“These believers are increasingly portrayed as sympathizers of the West, leading to arrests, surveillance and severe prison sentences,” Rostampour told Baptist Press. “Underground house churches have been raided, and children of Christian families face forced Islamic indoctrination.
“This wave of repression is part of a broader effort by the regime to suppress dissent, assert Islamic identity and silence minority faiths during a time of heightened geopolitical tension.”
The Iranian government executed at least six individuals, including three Kurdish men, on charges of “espionage for Israel” in the three weeks following the June 13th ceasefire, a group of 10 United Nations experts noted in a statement that did not indicate the killings of any Christians. But the experts said hundreds of individuals including ethnic and religious minorities such as Baha’is, Kurds, Balouchis and Ahwazi Arabs had been detained on accusations of “collaboration” or “espionage.”
Entire minority communities were termed traitors and “filthy rats” in state-linked media outlets calling for surveillance and killings, and 256,000 Afghans were deported in June amid heightened concerns of refugees being forcibly returned to countries where their lives will be endangered, the UN experts said.
Rostampour has been in touch with pastors of house churches, encouraging them as they continue to serve congregations under governmental pressure he described as especially intense.
“I’ve done my best to encourage them through prayer, counsel and online strategic meetings, helping them navigate these perilous times with wisdom and faith,” he said. “Their courage and perseverance humble and inspire me.
“Though the pressure on the secret church in Iran is increasing, so too is their unwavering commitment to Christ. Their endurance is a living testimony that the Gospel is never bound, and that even in the most hostile environments, the light of Christ continues to shine brightly. Please join me in lifting up our brothers and sisters in Iran through prayer, support and advocacy.”
Through his work at The Summit Church, he resources churches in Iran through online platforms, providing discipleship materials, worship, teaching and sermon videos and other support materials.
House churches, unregistered and operating independently of officially recognized Armenian and Assyrian churches, are viewed with suspicion by authorities, Rostampour said.
“The regime often claims that these underground fellowships are funded or directed by foreign – especially Western – Christian organizations,” he said. “Such accusations are used to justify raids, arrests and increased surveillance. In times of military conflict, these crackdowns intensify as the regime equates Christian gatherings with sedition or infiltration.”
Leaders and members of house churches in Iran are frequently arrested and imprisoned long term, according to religious watchdog group Open Doors, which ranks Iran 9th on its 2025 World Watch List of the 50 most oppressive countries for Christians, citing Islamic oppression.
On July 2, Iran rejected 186 of 346 recommendations from U.N. member states at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, including all 26 focused on religious freedom for minorities including Christians. The freedom of religion or belief, the rights to peaceful assembly and association, the freedom of worship and expression, and the recognition of all religious minorities were among rights Iran rejected.
Open Doors estimates there are 800,000 Christians in Iran. The population of 88.4 million is overwhelmingly Shi’a Muslim, with a much smaller number of 5 to 10 percent identifying as Sunni Muslim, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its 2025 Annual Report. Less than 1 percent, perhaps 0.3 percent, include various Christians, Baha’i, Jews and others, USCIRF said.
Article 18, an NGO based in London, promotes itself as “dedicated to the protection and promotion of religious freedom in Iran and advocating on behalf of its persecuted Christians.” With Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs among its partners, Article 18 takes its name from Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966.
This article has been republished courtesy of Baptist Press.
Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.