Protests in the streets of Tehran are nothing new. Historically, even large movements were suppressed within days, with significant loss of life, and the ruling regime has remained.
But now, with the Iranian economy in tatters and pressure from the Unites States and Israel mounting, Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) says this round may end differently, and Iranian Christians are standing at the ready.
"What they're thinking and seeing is Islam doesn't work," he relays. "We've been doing it the Muslim way, and it hasn't worked."
He says the Church is not responsible for the unrest but is involved in the protests. VOM's workers there report that the gospel is spreading.
"Iran is the site of the fastest-growing church in the world," Nettleton notes. "I know there are Christians who are using this opportunity to say, 'There is hope. Let me introduce you to Him. His name is Jesus Christ.'"
The Islamic regime that has ruled Iran since overthrowing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Iranian Revolution has been brutal and repressive, and those qualities are being brought to bear on the protesters. Current estimates from multiple rights groups and news sources say at least 2,500 people have been killed during the ongoing protests and the government's crackdown.
Nettleton says prayers are needed.
"It is a pivotal moment in the history of Iran, and I pray that the Lord will bring good," he tells AFN. "I also pray that He will protect our Christian brothers and sisters."
The Iranian government has tentacles that extend to most of the countries in the Middle East, which means its fall would be unprecedented. Nettleton says older Persians remember the freedom that existed under the shah prior to 1978.
"The idea of a return to that style of government in Iran, or in the Middle East more broadly, is pretty earth-shattering," he states.
