Source: www.MNNonline.org
Date: November 12, 2026
Iran (MNN) – Iran isn’t budging on its nuclear demands. And the price of war keeps climbing.
Iran’s top security official vowed Wednesday that not even a particle of enriched nuclear material would leave the country. That’s a major sticking point in U.S. efforts to negotiate peace.
Meanwhile, insurer Allianz Trade estimates war damages across Persian Gulf nations could exceed $200 billion.
But behind the headlines, Iranian families are struggling. Shah Ahmadi with Iran Alive Ministries recently spoke on Closer to the Fire, a podcast by Voice of the Martyrs Canada.
Tehran, Iran (Stock photo courtesy of Seyed Amir Mohammad Tabatabaee via Unsplash)
“They are hopeless,” he says. “They are bombed by the Iranian government. They see the millions and the billions of dollars they (Iran’s leaders) spend on terrorism. They spend it on the expansion of terrorism around the world – on the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas, all of that. And their own people, they are suffering.”
Economic hardship and government repression have fueled widespread frustration in Iran. Ahmadi says even educated professionals struggle to find work, while some teachers cannot afford to feed their families.
Meanwhile, Christians face growing persecution. Iran Alive reports at least 33 believers killed and more than 130 detained in recent months. Authorities have also tightened restrictions on Christian broadcasts, putting believers who rely on them for biblical teaching at greater risk.
“But we have a saying in the underground Church of Iran,” says Ahmadi. “They may try to imprison or put several believers in prison or things like that. But nobody can stop the Word of God. Nobody can arrest the Holy Spirit.”
(Photo courtesy of Zahra Amiri/Unsplash)
Despite the crackdown, Iran Alive reports nearly 6,000 people have come to Christ through its ministry this year.
Iran Alive is also helping families devastated by violence and economic hardship. Its trauma-care initiative has already assisted more than 400 Iranian families with practical needs, including rent and medical expenses.
Ahmadi says ministry in Iran brings both heartbreak and hope.
“We have to lean on God. We have to press into God. God, would you please give us wisdom because one eye is full of joy, one eye is full of tears.”
Pray that hopeless Iranians find hope in Jesus. Ask God to strengthen persecuted believers and bring healing to families suffering from war.
Header photo: Tehran, Iran (Photo courtesy of Mohammad Amirahmadi/Unsplash)