Historic Protestant Church in Iran Faces Government Confiscation
The fate of a historic Protestant church in Tehran is uncertain as the Iranian government threatens to confiscate the St. Peter Evangelical Church, raising alarms globally over the treatment of religious minorities in Iran.
Tehran’s St. Peter Evangelical Church, one of the last remaining historic Protestant churches in Iran, is under threat of seizure by the government. The Iranian authorities have already taken control of a 10,000-square-meter garden associated with the church, now occupied by officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to multiple reports.
In a statement to The Free Press, Sasan Tavassoli, a U.S.-based minister, relayed the words of Iranian officials, “We were concerned about America all these years. America came. They slapped us on the face,” Tavassoli shared. “We slapped them on the face back. And then America withdrew. So we are no longer afraid of America.”
The Anti-Defamation League’s Task Force on Middle East Minorities condemned the potential confiscation and criticized Iran’s treatment of Protestant Christian communities. In a statement, Co-Chair Nadine Maenza urged a strong international response to Iran’s actions.
Maenza stated, “As Iran threatens to confiscate St. Peter’s Evangelical Church in Tehran — one of the last remaining historic Protestant churches in the country — and reportedly warns worshippers and church leaders with imprisonment if they refuse to leave, the entire international community must respond with clarity and resolve.”
This incident is part of a broader pattern of systematic repression against Iran’s religious minorities, including Christians, Baha’is, Jews, and Sunni Muslims, Maenza explained.
Earlier this year, the World Communion of Reformed Churches reported the demolition of the Evangelical Church of Iran in Mashhad. Reverend Johnnie Moore of the ADL’s Task Force commented, “A regime that must bulldoze churches and seize the sanctuaries of peaceful congregations is not displaying its strength but confessing its fear — fear of a faith it cannot license, a conscience it cannot conscript, and a people it cannot control.”
Iran is ranked as the 10th-worst country globally for Christian persecution, as per Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List. Christians in the country endure raids, imprisonment, interrogations, and social hostility.
According to the UK-based monitoring group Article 18, Iran’s security forces killed at least 19 Christians during anti-government protests earlier this year. These protests began in December 2025 and carried on into early 2026, with the deaths occurring on January 8th and 9th.
The U.S. State Department expressed concern over the violent suppression of protesters in a statement, stating, “We are deeply concerned by reports and videos showing that peaceful protesters in Iran are facing intimidation, violence, and arrests. Demanding basic rights is not a crime. The Islamic Republic regime must respect the rights of the Iranian people and end the crackdown.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
