Iranian Christians within the diaspora shed few tears over the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, killed in a helicopter crash together with the foreign minister and 6 others within the northwest mountains of Iran.
The leadership vacuum will probably be filled inside 50 days by a latest election. But it comes at a tumultuous time for the Islamic Republic, which last month launched an unprecedented missile attack against Israel. Coming within the context of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Iran’s other proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have harassed the Jewish state and its Western allies.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning, assuring there could be no change within the nation’s direction.
Raisi’s term in office was beset by internal protests over religious repression, alongside discontent with an inflationary economy. But while he oversaw restoration of diplomatic ties with rival Saudi Arabia, relations with the West severely deteriorated attributable to strengthening ties with Russia and China, as Iran enriched its uranium supply in suspected pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
“Countless 1000’s of Christians are specifically praying for God’s will in Iran,” said Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran, which oversees a network of churches within the nation. “I feel his hand is on all these key events.”
She advised the Western church to wish for brand new God-fearing leadership.
Of the now deceased leader, Christians expressed a various emotional response.
“From all of my contacts, the response amongst educated and socially engaged Iranians is joy,” said Shirin Taber, executive director of Empower Women Media, dedicated to the promotion of international religious freedom. “With the potential for change, there’s all the time hope.”
An Iranian-American Christian, she said these deaths show that not only is the regime not invincible, it’s on the decline. Reports indicated that the presidential helicopter unwisely departed in deep fog and likewise suffered mechanical failure.
Taber also leads the Abraham Women’s Alliance to strengthen the Abraham Accords, a US government–led effort to normalize relations between Muslim nations and Israel. In this time of transition in Iran, she encouraged Western nations to proceed to “lean in” to the push for democracy.
Raisi, age 63, was elected in 2021 with the bottom turnout recorded since Iran’s revolution in 1979. Analysts blamed widespread disillusion, as clerical leadership severely limited the pool of candidates to those with demonstrated loyalty to Ayatollah Khamenei. Raisi was also considered to be the first candidate to succeed the 85-year-old supreme leader.
Sources noted the widespread speculations over the crash. Some rumors immediately suspected Israel, while others wondered about internal power struggles. Iran has not suggested foul play.
But while state media broadcast scenes of mourning on the funeral and within the streets of Iran, diaspora images showed dancing within the streets. Some Christian voices were more muted.
“My initial response is that justice was done,” said Amir Bazmjou, CEO of Torch Ministries and an Oxford-based PhD candidate in political science and Christian theology. “God heard the voices of families who lost their family members unjustly due to Raisi.”
Referring to the president by his infamous title “Butcher of Tehran” attributable to his role within the “death committee” that executed 1000’s of prisoners, Bazmjou cited the Ezekiel 18:23 reference that God takes no pleasure within the death of the wicked.
Raisi, born right into a clerical family, joined within the initial protests against the Shah of Iran at age 15, and by age 25 became deputy prosecutor of Tehran. In 1988, he was considered one of 4 judges on the key tribunal that retried already imprisoned enemies of the regime.
In 2009, Raisi backed crackdowns on protestors and their mass incarcerations following the disputed presidential election. And as president, in 2022, he oversaw the safety response against demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a lady detained over her allegedly loose hijab. Over 500 people were killed, with 22,000 detained.
The US sanctioned Raisi in 2019 for his role in domestic repression.
Bazmjou encouraged Western empathy over the death of Iran’s president, but to face with the oppressed public while avoiding siding with the regime. Such was the US response, expressing condolences while reaffirming support for the people and their “struggle for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
But because the pool of approved politicians tightens, Bazmjou believed that the helicopter deaths contribute to the further shrinking of core loyalists that may assume future leadership positions. Like Taber, he believes these gaps may foretell significant change within the near future.
This would accord with an image provided in Scripture, he said.
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN, read the writing on the wall in Daniel 5—God’s message to King Belshazzar of Babylon. God has numbered the times of your reign and brought it to an end.
“I pray for the political leaders in Iran to show from their dark ways and encounter the God of affection, justice, and holiness,” said Bazmjou. “Otherwise, God’s justice will come for the voiceless, Christians included.”
A recent survey suggested there are nearly a million believers inside Iran.
For any who rejoice, he cited Proverbs 21:15 as appropriate for each Christians and Iranian leaders—When justice is completed, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.
Mansour Borji agreed, citing Psalm 55:15—Let death take my enemies by surprise. Christians may not fully comprehend the connection between God’s mercy and his judgment, said the director of the Iranian religious freedom advocacy organization Article18, but he allows the frustrated to precise their anger at those that harm their fellow residents.
As Raisi violated the rights of minorities, Borji is somewhat frustrated still.
“It would have been higher for him to face trial and be held accountable for his crimes,” he said. “But the world is a safer place without him.”
Silk, nevertheless, warned that potential internal Iranian power struggles wouldn’t bode well for residents, as authorities will rule with a fair tighter fist. Persecution against Christians will proceed and maybe intensify.
But as Bazmjou found biblical parallel with the king of Babylon, Silk referenced a prophecy about ancient Elam, situated in modern-day Iran. Restoration is promised, she said, but not before judgment. In Jeremiah 49:38, God states, I’ll set my throne in Elam, and destroy her king and officials.
“We cannot presume to know God’s mind,” Silk said. “But things are accelerating, and I ponder if the key shift we’ve got been anticipating is closer than we expect.”
