Independent investigations suggest the Islamic regime in power has slaughtered tens of thousands of protesters since the latest round of protests began in late December – crossing several red lines set by U.S. President Donald Trump.
A video snuck out of the country a couple weeks ago showed morgues overflowing with body bags, but Todd Nettleton of The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) says it is still difficult to get an accurate picture of what is happening there.
Before the government crackdown intensified, protesting crowds were in the millions nationwide. Now, the streets of Tehran are mostly empty – not because the anti-government protests have been quelled, but because people know they will be shot on site if they poke their heads out of their doors.
"The government has shut down communication," Nettleton relays. "They don't want the world to know what is happening."
The country's economy is in shambles because of sanctions imposed by the U.S., but he says the Iranian people blame the mullahs.
"The government is Islam; it is the Islamic leaders," he notes.
They claim to have established "the ideal Islamic state," but the people neither like it nor believe it works.
While expressing conditional openness to negotiation, President Trump has promised a strong response to the human rights abuses. In addition to repeatedly imposing and expanding sanctions, he has deployed U.S. naval and air assets to deter Iran and signal readiness for further action.
Meanwhile, in what Nettleton calls "a very difficult time," he says Christians are at work.
"They're helping those who are wounded," he reports. "They're providing food and water to protesters."
Nettleton says they are finding opportunities to share Jesus with people who are frustrated with Islam.
