As the death toll in Iran climbs into the thousands, the cries from the underground church are growing louder — and more desperate.
Iranian pastor Ara Torosian, now based in the United States, says the situation in Iran has reached a breaking point as protesters and civilians are gunned down in the streets. In an interview with CBN News, he said: “There is mass killing on the streets of Iran…This regime is evil. They’re killing people.”
Torosian shared that he woke up to multiple calls from inside Iran: friends, family members and members of the underground church. “It’s devastating… I’m tired of crying, and I’m tired of praying. We need to do, act, something, to free Iran.”
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But even as he wrestles with faith and sorrow, the emotional weight has reached his own children. “I said God is in control,” Torosian recalled telling his son. “My son…8 years old…he said ‘God is not doing well.’” Torosian said it broke his heart—not just for his family, but “for our people…my burden is heavy.”
A Voice from the Ground
During the interview, Torosian played an audio message from a grieving Iranian family whose son, Arash, was killed during protests. Torosian translated the recording:
There is shedding blood everywhere…he got shotgun. He was in front line…they shot him. They didn’t allow them to take him to hospital…he died on the hand of his father.
The family, he added, is not being allowed to bury their son. “Please help us,” the voice on the recording cried. “Our feeling is bad…we are not feeling good.”
According to Torosian, the atrocities are not isolated. “I heard around 20,000 people in two days got massacred in Iran.” Communication is largely shut down within the country, and he cannot even reach many of the pastors and house churches connected to him. “Some of our close friends and Christians even die.”
A Plea to the West
With his voice breaking, Torosian issued what he called his message “to the West”—not just to Christians, but specifically to heads of state.
“Act. Act right now. This is emergency,” he pleaded. “Do something because they have guns. People of Iran, they don’t have guns.”
He continued:
Doesn’t matter what you believe right now…which political group you are. I want free Iran. As a Christian, as a pastor…I have a responsibility. I love Iran. I love America. America should act something.
A Prophetic Moment in History
Christians familiar with Iran’s revival know that one of the fastest-growing church movements in the world has been taking place beneath Iran’s Islamic regime—quietly and secretly. Now, as the regime’s grip turns violent, the Iranian church may be entering what many believe is a prophetic hinge in Middle Eastern history.
As pastor Torosian says, “Act and save the people.”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
