Ordinary, everyday Iranians are begging us to not forget them as the world witnesses the continuing joint American and Israeli military operations in their country.

One of our Persian Diaspora partners sent an urgent plea this week for us to share with you the increasing blanket of isolation that is being pulled across Iran. According to Netblocks, an organization that tracks global internet outages, the people of Iran have been without outside internet access for more than 13 days, and connectivity is at just 1% of normal levels. The Iranian state-run media agency has not made a single mention of the internet blackout on its English language website.

Even before intense military action began in Iran on Saturday, February 28, as protests against the Iranian regime rose inside the country, The Outreach Foundation and our church partners have been passionately in prayer for our mission partners who are doing God’s work for the people of Iran. We pray alongside our Iranian brothers and sisters for an end to conflict and the beginning of transition that will usher in religious freedom for the people of Iran. But birthing that essential, God-given freedom will not be easy and the complex mix of deep emotions Iranians are experiencing can’t be understated.

Today, after the demonstration in The Hague in support of the people of Iran, Hadi and I separated from the group as we were heading home. On our way back, a woman approached us and suddenly began to cry. She said, “I need to talk to you. I haven’t heard from my family in Iran for several days.” 

Something inside the heart of Iran is blooming that many prayed and hoped for decades: freedom. Yet we are in awe of how quickly the reel is spinning. Despite the regime darkening internet and cell phones, videos are sending the songs of Iranians from inside to the world — a free country is being birthed before our eyes.