As leaders of Iran continue to blame and punish Christians for their alleged part in the regime’s political and military troubles of last year, a new report outlines the persecution that Christians in the Islamic Republic suffered in 2025.
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Calling Iran’s “12-day war” of June 13–24 a pivotal moment that “impacted all Iranians but left minorities especially vulnerable to targeting and scapegoating,” advocacy group Article 18’s annual report noted that in less than one month after the ceasefire, agents with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) spread out across at least 19 different cities in the country, arrested more than 50 Christians and accused them of involvement in “anti-security” activities.
‘Mossad mercenaries’
In the report, “Scapegoats: Rights Violations Against Christians in Iran,” Article 18 in partnership with Open Doors, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Middle East Concern reported that MOIS issued a statement labeling Christians “Mossad mercenaries,” a reference to Israel’s intelligence agency, who were “trained abroad” by churches in the United States and Israel and had acted “under the guise of the ‘Zionist’ Christian evangelization movement.”
In August, state media released a video report essentially admitting officials monitor converts who travel outside of Iran. They showed footage of some of the arrested Christians at a church gathering in Türkiye and aired forced confessions where Christians admitted to traveling overseas to receive religious instruction.
The government also increasingly criminalized the possession of Bibles, especially ones imported from outside the country.
Overall, the trend of persecution continues to get worse in Iran. According to the report, nearly twice as many Christians were arrested for their faith in 2025 than in 2024; 254 Christians were arrested on charges related to their faith or religious activities last year, compared with 139 the prior year.
Christians were also sentenced more severely, receiving more than 280 combined years in prison, “a higher figure than 2024, despite involving fewer individuals, conveying a trend towards harsher sentences,” the report reads. More than 11 Christians were issued sentences of more than 10 years.
In 90% of the cases against Christians, charges were brought under Article 500, which was amended in 2021 and criminalizes “propaganda contrary to the holy religion of Islam.”
At the end of last year, 59 Christians were either serving sentences or being held in prison awaiting trial. Mistreatment of Christian prisoners is becoming more common, according to the report. Ill-treatment includes denial of healthcare, psychological torture and physical abuse.
46th anniversary of murder
The new report was published on Feb. 19, the 46th anniversary of the murder of the Rev. Arastoo Sayyah. Sayyah was killed on Feb. 19, 1979, in his church office in Shiraz just eight days after the end of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. He was the first Christian known to be killed for his faith in the nascent years of the Islamic Republic.
World Watch
Iran ranked 10th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List (WWL) of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was originally published by Morning Star News.
