Iran (MNN) – Iran is running out of ways to connect with the outside world.

A key U.S. sanctions deadline took effect Wednesday, shutting down all but a handful of Iranian flights to Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and China.

The deadline ended a short wind-down period for foreign companies servicing Iranian carriers. Airports and companies now risk secondary U.S. sanctions if they provide Iranian airlines with fuel, landing services, or ticket sales.

Mehrabad Airport, Tehran, Iran (Photo courtesy of Sajad Darvishi/Unsplash)

For ordinary Iranians, the latest restrictions add another layer to the economic and social pressures of war and sanctions. But amid growing isolation, a different kind of shift is taking place inside the country.

Edwin Abnous, executive director of Heart4Iran, says many Iranians have become deeply disillusioned with Islam after decades of rule by the Islamic Republic.

“Islam lost its legitimacy alongside the government. But that does not mean that the Iranians threw away God and the idea of the supernatural altogether. They’re still spiritual because that is woven into their identity.”

Abnous explains that, for Iranians, “They have grown up with the sense that there is a God and there should be a relationship with this supreme being. But the Islam narrative and the ideology that it presented was not something they could accept.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)

That spiritual openness is creating opportunities for the Gospel. Heart4Iran hears directly from Iranians through its call center.

“In the past 10 years, we have had about 650,000 people contacting us, and over 250,000 people say that yes, I want to follow Jesus,” shares Abnous.

Pray for Iranians struggling under economic pressure, and for believers facing the added danger of apostasy charges. Ask God to strengthen the Church “to carry the mission, to preach the Gospel, and to be hope for the people who are in challenge.”

Abnous says, “The Church is the beacon of hope in the country. If the Church is strong, that is where people are going. Through the calamity and tragedy, the Church can offer a source of hope and a bright future for the country.”

Learn more about Heart4Iran and its ministry to Iranians at Heart4Iran.com.

 

Header photo courtesy of Heart4Iran.