Pray for Iran
A large historic square in the city of Isfahan, in central Iran.
Photo: احمد جمالی مقدم, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About Iran
The capital is Tehran. People speak Persian. The largest faith is Islam.
Source: Wikipedia, with the cited sources it lists.
Prayer briefing for Iran
Last updated November 2026. Facts come from the sources listed below.
Current events
Iran has been at war since 28 February 2026, when US and Israeli strikes killed the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and others. On 2 November the US carried out what officials called limited strikes near the Strait of Hormuz, and on 6 November President Trump announced further limited strikes. Iran is reviewing new proposals from Qatar. Ships in and near the strait keep being hit, and one seafarer was killed on 3 November.
We pray for: Immediate relief, safety and urgent help.
Leadership and politics
Iran is an Islamic republic in which the Supreme Leader holds final authority. In March 2026 the Assembly of Experts chose Mojtaba Khamenei as Supreme Leader. The elected President is Masoud Pezeshkian, who says Iran does not want to keep fighting. Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will reopen only if its conditions are met, including lifting the US naval blockade, while Qatar and Pakistan mediate indirect talks.
We pray for: Wisdom, integrity and justice for those in authority.
Economic health
The war, the blockade and sanctions have hit families hard. The central bank reported inflation of about 77% in May 2026, a level an Iranian research institute called unprecedented since World War II. The rial has fallen to more than 1.7 million to the US dollar, and the prices of daily needs such as medicine and transport have more than doubled in a year.
We pray for: Provision for families and honest stewardship.
Social and cultural issues
Protests over soaring prices began in late December 2025 and spread to many cities in January 2026. Rights groups reported many hundreds killed in the crackdown, said the true toll was likely far higher, and estimated about 10,000 arrests, though an internet blackout made the figures very hard to verify. Families of the dead, the detained and the poor are among the most vulnerable.
We pray for: Reconciliation, peace and protection of the vulnerable.
Spiritual landscape
The US State Department has estimated that about 99% of Iranians are Muslim, about 90% Shia and about 9% Sunni (2014 figures). Bahais, Christians, Jews, Mandaeans, Zoroastrians and Yarsanis make up the rest. Estimates of the number of Christians range from about 117,000 to about 370,000, and a 2026 report asks for clarity on where Persian-speaking Christians may worship freely in their own language.
We pray for: Spiritual awakening, hope and the spread of truth.
Religious freedom
The constitution lets only Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians worship and form religious societies within the limits of the law, and it bans proselytising. A 2026 report by Article18, Open Doors, CSW and Middle East Concern counted 254 Christians arrested for their faith in 2025, up from 139 the year before, and described Christians being treated as scapegoats after the twelve day war of 2025. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommends that Iran be named a Country of Particular Concern.
We pray for: Protection for believers and freedom to worship safely.
Historical wounds
The 1979 revolution changed the nation, and the eight year war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988 left deep grief on both sides. The twelve day war of 2025 and the war of 2026, in which the Supreme Leader and many others were killed, have added new loss and fear.
We pray for: National healing, breaking old cycles and deep forgiveness.
Let us pray together
Our Father, we come to You together for Iran. Bring an end to the fighting, comfort the grieving and protect every family in danger. Give wisdom, integrity and justice to those in authority, and guide every leader toward peace. Provide for families who struggle to buy food and medicine. Comfort those who lost loved ones in the protests, care for the detained, and protect the vulnerable. Let the hope and truth of Jesus be known in every home. Keep believers safe and give them freedom to worship without fear, and heal the long wounds of war and loss. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Sources
- CBS News: live updates, new US strikes on Iran and talks (Nov 2026)
- ABC News Australia (AP/Reuters): explosions in Strait of Hormuz as Iran reviews proposals (Nov 2026)
- Bernama: Mojtaba Khamenei named Supreme Leader after Feb 28 strike (Mar 2026)
- AP via Asharq Al-Awsat: Iran inflation at WWII levels (June 2026)
- RTE: Iran protests, deaths and arrests (Jan 2026)
- USIP Iran Primer: US State Department religious freedom report (2014 data)
- Article18 and partners: Scapegoats, 2026 report on Christians in Iran (Feb 2026)
- USCIRF: 2026 recommendations
- AFP via Space Daily: Halabja and the Iran-Iraq war 1980 to 1988 (Mar 2018)
More ways to pray
PrayerCast shares short prayer videos for the nations. Watch its video for Iran and pray along.
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