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As military strikes continue to rock Iran and surrounding countries, it can be difficult to know what's going on—or how to pray.
The situation is fluid and can be difficult to follow. On Saturday, February 28, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the long-time Supreme Leader of Iran, was killed along with other high-level officials. An Iranian TV presenter announced his death, while the channel aired archive footage marked with a black mourning banner. The country declared 40 days of mourning.
At the same time, videos on social media showed Iranians celebrating the death of the Ayatollah. In other countries around the world, Iranian expatriates and refugees took to the streets in jubilation.
"May God bring peace and protect the whole Middle East through this time of change for Iran."
Iranian believer
"The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei marks a significant and sobering moment in Iran's history," says an Open Doors analyst and an Iranian Christian. "I cannot ignore that under his leadership, the church in Iran lived for decades under intense pressure, facing restrictions, surveillance, arrests and the constant weight of uncertainty. Many faithful believers endured suffering simply for following Christ.
"This moment is not about revenge or triumph, but about the possibility of a different future," he continues. "One where freedom of conscience, dignity and justice are extended to all Iranians, regardless of faith or background. My prayer is that this turning point will open the way for peace, reconciliation and genuine freedom for our nation."
Meanwhile, the strikes continue as the world wonders what will happen with Khamenei out of power. "The sound of the explosions is very frightening. The loud fighter jets are carrying out terrifying attacks," says an Iranian Christian living in a town near the capital. She was able to get a message out to Open Doors partners just before the internet connection was cut off throughout the country. "However, I believe that God will save me and deliver me from this war."
Iranians have begun to tape up their windows to resist the force of the strong explosions taking place as they remain indoors in this unstable situation.
The violence has also begun to spread around the region as Iran retaliates against the attacks. "We are hearing the sound of explosions and airplanes," says an Iraqi believer in Erbil in northern Iraq. Another Christian says that her house "was shaking" from the explosions this weekend.
Open Doors sources in Erbil report that Iran has tried to attack the American consulate in Erbil. The attacking drones were shot down before they could hit the consulate.
"We had at least five rockets exploding, and we hear constantly fighter jets above us. We are worried that Iran-backed groups will plan attacks in our region on American targets," an Open Doors source says.
Iran has also carried out attacks in countries throughout the Arabian Peninsula, including Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, primarily targeting U.S. military sites, Israeli government offices and international shipping areas.
Before noon on March 2, a Christian living in one of the Arabian Peninsula countries sent this message: "Missiles and sirens close to home. Alerts going off on phones. Windows rattling. We're going to the shelter, please pray." We can't tell you exactly which country this believer lives in because the region is so dangerous for Christians.
While most of Iran's missiles were intercepted by defense systems, some have hit land, causing demolition, fires and destruction. "We received recurring alerts on our phones, urging us to remain indoors and not to go out except for urgent matters," shares another Christian living in the Gulf area. "The sounds we heard were very intense and scary."
Attacks are also happening throughout the Levant. Hezbollah, a political party and paramilitary group in Lebanon and an ally of Iran, sent rockets into Israel, and Israel responded with strikes in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon. According to Syrian sources, an Iranian missile or its remnants have fallen on a residential building in the city of Suwayda, killing five people. Civil air traffic in Syria was also suspended. Iran targeted a U.S. military base in Jordan, and the country has dealt with debris from intercepted attacks.
Due to the rocket attacks from Iran on Israel, many citizens in Israel and Palestine have had to hide in the shelters. "We hear rockets and airplanes all the time," says one of our sources in the West Bank. "The people are upset in the West Bank. Since the Gaza war ended, tourists have come back to the area. This will stop all tourism again, and many Christians depend on tourism for their jobs and income. Please pray for an end to this war and for all politicians to put aside their own interests."
No one is sure how the situation will resolve or when the war might end. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the operation against Iran could last four- to five weeks or longer, and no one knows who the replacement will be for Ayatollah Khamenei.
But an Open Doors analyst and Iranian believer reminds us that no matter what happens, there is hope. "Even in hardship, the [Iranian church] has remained resilient, prayerful and deeply rooted in hope," he says.
And some believers look forward to the end of the war and pray for a more lasting peace. "We are Christian converts who fled Iran because of persecution. Not having any freedom to express and live out our faith, we endured years of displacement and lived as refugees," says one Iranian believer. "We are so hopeful that we would be able to go back to our homeland. May God bring peace and protect the whole Middle East through this time of change for Iran."
No matter what happens, we know that God is in control. And remarkably, He's offered us the gift of bringing all of the uncertainty and our hopes and fears to Him in prayer.
Here are just a few ways you can pray right now:
