In Depth:  war

John-Edward Funnell

I am sure that many readers of en are rightly concerned about the conflict in Iran and the wider Middle East. I have a vested interest as my eldest son serves our country bravely in the Royal Navy.

I have spent the last few weeks glued to the 24-hour news coverage and have read countless articles and expert opinion pieces on the tensions – all to gain as much of an insight as possible, so that I can pray in an informed way for the needs of our service men and women and for our Christian brothers and sisters in Iran.

Martyn Whittock

Christian Just War theory represents one of the most influential ethical traditions for evaluating the moral legitimacy of warfare.

Developed within Christian theology but later influencing secular international ethics and law, the theory attempts to reconcile two competing commitments: the Christian call to peace; and the moral responsibility of political authorities to protect the innocent and oppose those threatening harm to others.

Pooyan Mehrshahi

It has been hard to write a short report on the situation in Iran, due to the ongoing developments. But there is a very brief summary and analysis from a Christian view of what is happening among Iranians in general, but specifically, Iranian evangelical Christians.

1. The bigger picture: War and the religious system behind it
   In June 2025, Iran and Israel entered a short but intense conflict, known as the 12-Day-War. Israel started the war by striking nuclear targets. Those strikes were mostly precise. Civilian casualties were lower than feared, but inside Iran, fear increased, not from outside attack, but from the regime itself. The internet and phone communications were stopped, which made things very difficult for the general public and added to the fear levels.
   
   The Iranian government, built on the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist), sees itself not just as a political power, but as a religious authority. Its leaders believe they are preparing the world for the Mahdi’s return (Mahdi is the last promised Imam of the Shi’ite Islam). This belief is not fringe; it is central to how they operate. That is why the regime thrives on crisis, especially with Israel and the West. And when Israel or the West starts to fight, it fuels their rhetoric. And when crisis comes, the people suffer.
   
2. Christian life under pressure
   Christians inside Iran live with ongoing pressure. The police have increased their presence in many areas. Helicopters are flown over residential neighbourhoods as a show of power and intimidation. Several Iranians were arrested and executed recently, and broadcast on the national media, accused of being Israeli or American spies.
   
   Many hoped that Israel’s attacks would lead to a regime collapse. There were many in the general public who were celebrating that this oppressive Islamic regime would be uprooted once and for all. But that hasn’t happened. Now, many feel more hopeless than before. Fear has kept people from protesting, and fear keeps many Christians silent.
   
   One young believer said, “We can’t even meet to worship. We have not been able to do that for years. How can I have close fellowship, being discipled by a faithful pastor. How can I find a Christian spouse? We are isolated.” The lack of physical church gatherings has been and continues to be deeply affecting the community - not only spiritually, but relationally.
   
3. A fragmented body
   Spiritually, the evangelical Church in Iran is weary. True believers still exist. They read the Word. They pray. But most now interact through encrypted chats and online streams. The fellowship of the saints is fractured. For many years most haven't been able to meet in underground house churches; fear of surveillance has driven gatherings underground - so deep, they struggle to even happen.
   
   Single believers, young men and women, struggle in heart-breaking ways. “How do I meet someone to marry?” one brother asked. “There’s no evangelical, non-Charismatic church to go to. There’s nowhere to be seen.” Marriage, community, spiritual growth, all feel just out of reach.
   
4. Hard questions about spiritual growth
   Western media often declares that Iran is experiencing a great Christian awakening. We rejoice at every soul turned to Christ - but we must be honest. At the cost of being called a pessimist, we must still ask: what kind of Christianity is it? What fruit does it produce?
   
   Not every profession of faith bears fruit. Many seek Christian identity for safety, status, or access to Western aid. The marks of true discipleship - repentance, holiness, love for Scripture, and evangelism - are weak and often absent.
   
   Many who convert while in Iran or as refugees fall away once comfort and citizenship arrive. This has been the experience of many churches in the West who have welcomed Iranian refugees.
   
5. A word to the Western church
   It’s easy to be encouraged by the headlines. But the real work of God is often quiet, painful, and unseen. We must discern the difference between popularity and perseverance.
   
   Please continue to pray, but pray with understanding. Rejoice in genuine fruit, and ask for discernment in supporting those doing deep, lasting gospel work.
   
   By God’s grace, there are a handful of evangelical leaders, churches and organisations, such as Parsa Trust that are seeking to produce resources to explain the gospel and sound doctrine.
   
   For example, the Parsa Trust team has been translating many resources into Persian (Farsi). Much literature has now become available and is being used in small groups. We have just translated and released Radical Discipleship by Pastor Jonas Hensworth and How Should Men Lead Their Homes? by Dr. Joel R. Beeke—now available digitally and in audio.
   
   Through the Parsa Ketab app (iOS, Android, Web), Iranian believers now have access to Bibles, classic evangelical and Reformed works, and theological tools. And over 2,000 biblical sermons on SermonAudio, and social media platforms, are now reaching thousands.
   
   Sadly, we do not have well taught leaders in Iran, but we are seeking to do what we can to provide resources from outside.
   
   This is our part: feed the scattered sheep in Iran. Build up those who truly hunger. Plant roots that will endure.
   
6. Looking ahead
   If the regime falls, the church must be ready to rise - not with power, but with gospel zeal and purity. If the regime endures, the church must be ready to suffer - not with fear, but with faith and courage.
   
   Either way, the call remains the same: preach Christ, make disciples, teach sound doctrine, live holy lives. Ultimately we pray that the Lord would raise qualified labourers, to establish biblical and orderly churches, who will continue the work of the Great Commission.
   
7. A final appeal
   Let us not measure the church in Iran by numbers or noise. Let us be careful of the news outlets and the media. They have their agenda. Let us measure the church in Iran by truth, by fruit, and by faithfulness under fire.
   
   The saints in Iran are sometimes weary, but have not lost heart. Christ is at work, even in silence. Christ is building His true church. May we join Him in what He is doing, not what we wish were true.
   
   “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body” (Hebrews 13v3).
   
   “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6v9). May Christ purify His Church. May He save His people. And may He come quickly

Russell Moore

After Israel’s recent bombing of Iran, a friend told me about a preacher who asserted that Russia might be the Gog and Magog of the Book of Ezekiel, that Iran might be one of the hostile nations pictured by the prophets, and that all of this just might be pointing toward the imminence of the literal apocalypse.

“Are we going to do this again?” my friend said.

Michael Haykin

After the battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815), Arthur Wellesley, the Anglo-Irish 1st Duke of Wellington and the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces fighting Napoleon, famously commented that “I don’t know what it is to lose a battle, but certainly nothing can be more painful than to gain one with the loss of so many of one’s friends.”

That battle brought to a close a tremendous global struggle that, for over 20 years, had pit the British Empire, first against the Revolutionary forces in France and then against the French dictator Napoleon I.

Ryan Burton King

On 24 February 2025, thousands of Ukrainians and their families and friends crowded into London’s Trafalgar Square for an evening of prayers and protest, speeches and music, marking three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Particular excitement was caused by the appearance of the 'Iron General', the popular former commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhnyi, who took up a new post as ambassador to the United Kingdom last year. But the mood was inescapably sober, and reflected a new sentiment absent from previous gatherings: betrayal.

Tim Farron

We have just marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Foreign leaders gathered in Kyiv to commemorate the invasion and pledge continued support to Ukraine.

President Zelensky has estimated that 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, 380,000 wounded, and 35,000 are missing in action, likely dead.