Surrounded by a crowd of resolute Iranians during a demonstration in London in March, Sasan Tavassoli introduced himself as a pastor to the London-based Iran International reporter covering the events. Tricolor green, white, and red flags fluttered behind him, with the former monarchial yellow Lion and Sun emblem replacing the current central stylized “Allah” of the Islamic Republic.
As some chanted their support for Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah deposed by the 1979 revolution, the Presbyterian missionary told the satellite news broadcaster the Islamic regime is a cancer that needs to be removed for the sake of peace in the region. Born in 1968 in Tehran, Tavassoli became a Christian in Portugal in 1985, a year after his parents sent him abroad to avoid being drafted into the Iran-Iraq War. He has lived in Atlanta since 1995.
Two days after his interview, he received a rare message from inside Iran.
“Thank you for being our voice,” said his nominally Muslim cousin. “I’m proud of you.”
The Iranian government shut down the internet after the February 28 US-Israeli attack on Iran. Earlier, in January, officials caused a 20-day blackout during widespread antiregime protests, during which security forces killed thousands of demonstrators. In March, Netblocks reported connectivity at about 1 percent of normal levels, as only sporadic emails and social media texts seep through.
Yet satellite TV is still able to bring in news from abroad, circumventing state-run media. Reporters Without Borders ranks Iran No. 177 out of 180 countries in press freedom. But digital signals—including from Christian broadcasters—beam through space to millions of rooftop dishes, enabling Tavassoli’s cousin to take pride in her outspoken relative.
The internet blackout means that Iranian Christian leaders in the diaspora have had near-zero communication with pastors in Iran. Families are in the dark about their relatives, fearing the worst. Even so, six sources told CT the little they heard, reporting unanimity against the theocratic regime.
But not all had the same view of the war and its current shaky ceasefire. On Sunday, President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social that “the Clock is Ticking” for Iran to accept a peace agreement, or “there won’t be anything left of them.” Then on Monday, he announced he was calling off a scheduled attack on Iran as “serious negotiations” for the peace deal were taking place.
Meanwhile, a different Muslim cousin told Tavassoli the conflict will only radicalize authorities further. He prefers gradual reform, led internally by Iranians apart from US-Israeli intervention.
Tavassoli’s third interaction was with a leader within an underground house church network. This pastor hoped that the war might free Iranians from the Islamic regime, whose persecution of Christian converts prompts the Open Doors World Watch List to rank Iran the No. 10 hardest country to be a believer. But he also lamented the difficult economic conditions.
The financial struggle dominated conversations within…
This article was originally published at Christianity Today on May 22, 2026. Please click here to read the full text.
Jayson Casper 