Christ Has Come To Iran.

Michael Ringer

17 Oct 2025 — 5 min read

2/3 of all mosques in Iran have closed due to millions converting to Christianity

Tehran, Iran - A dramatic religious transformation is underway in Iran, with reports indicating that approximately 1 million Muslims have converted to Christianity while 50,000 of the nation's 75,000 mosques have closed due to declining attendance. The developments come as Tehran inaugurated a new metro station dedicated to the Virgin Mary, featuring Christian murals and symbols.

In February 2024, Mohammad Abolghassem Doulabi, a senior Iranian cleric and special representative of President Ebrahim Raisi in clerical affairs, revealed that approximately 50,000 mosques had closed due to a substantial drop in attendance. This represents roughly two-thirds of Iran's total mosques.

Minister of Culture Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili commented that the decline in mosque attendance is now "highly alarming," with earlier figures showing the number of active mosques had decreased by at least one-third.

According to reports from international radio ministry The Tide and CBN News, approximately 1 million Muslims in Iran have converted to Christianity. Todd Nettleton, vice president of messaging for Voice of the Martyrs, told CBN that many Iranians are searching for hope amid high drug addiction rates, rampant corruption, and widespread poverty.

"You have a country with one of the highest drug addiction rates in the world. You have a country where corruption runs rampant. You have a country where more than half the people live below the poverty line," Nettleton said. "And the people of Iran are looking at this and they are saying, 'Wait a minute. If this is what Islam has brought us in the last 45 years, we're not interested. We want to know what the other options are.'"

According to Elam Ministries, more Iranians have become Christians in the last 20 years than in the previous 13 centuries combined since Islam came to Iran. In 1979, there were an estimated 500 Christians from a Muslim background in Iran.

Don Shenk, executive director of The Tide Ministry, reported that Muslims are responding to gospel-centered messages broadcast into Iran. "We get responses from listeners who say, 'Now I understand that God loves me. I always thought that God wanted to punish me,'" Shenk told CBN.

The Iranian government has responded with increased persecution. Conversion from Islam to Christianity is illegal in Iran, and Christians who convert face charges of crimes against national security, leading to long prison sentences. Home churches are regularly raided, with leaders arrested and detained.

Open Doors International stated that Christianity in Iran is only tolerated for traditional Christian communities such as Armenian or Assyrian Christians. "The government views conversion as an attempt by the West to undermine Islam and the Islamic government of Iran," Open Doors reported.

Despite the crackdown, The Tide Ministry and other organizations report an awakening taking place across the Muslim world, extending beyond Iran to countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, and even Saudi Arabia.

On October 13, 2025, Tehran officially opened the "Maryam-e Moqaddas" (Holy Virgin Mary) Metro Station on Line 6 of the Tehran Metro. The station, located near St. Sarkis Armenian Cathedral in District 6, features murals and reliefs depicting Mary, Jesus, and architectural elements inspired by Armenian Christian heritage.

The station's design includes Christian symbols throughout and was developed in coordination with Tehran's Armenian community, which numbers approximately 100,000 people. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani stated the construction "demonstrates" Iran's respect for religious minorities.

The naming represents a rare public acknowledgment of Iran's Christian minority. Iran's constitution officially recognizes Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians as protected minorities with reserved parliamentary seats.

Iranian media highlighted that the Virgin Mary, known as "Maryam" in the Quran, is venerated in both Christianity and Islam, positioning the station as an embodiment of shared religious values even though "Maryam" is a completely made up character.

The station sits at a key junction between Haft-e Tir Square and Vali-Asr Square along Karimkhan Street. Construction began in 2015 and required extensive underground work, reaching a depth of 34 meters and covering approximately 11,000 square meters.

International reaction on social media ranged from surprise to skepticism. Some observers praised the gesture as genuine religious tolerance, while critics suggested it represents a calculated public relations effort to soften Iran's international image amid ongoing scrutiny of its human rights record.

Journalist Hala Jaber wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "A symbolic nod to coexistence: Christians, Jews, & Zoroastrians are constitutionally protected & live peacefully in Iran, with parliamentary seats reserved for each."

However, questions remain about whether the symbolic gesture will translate into tangible improvements for religious minorities, particularly Muslim converts to Christianity who face the severest persecution.

THE CRUSADERS OPINION

Iran proves what secularists refuse to acknowledge Christianity transforms everything it touches, even in Islam's heartland.

One million Iranians have found Christ while mosques empty across the nation.

This isn't mere statistics it's spiritual awakening on a massive scale.

For 45 years, the Islamic Republic imposed Sharia brutally, yet Iranians increasingly reject Islam for Jesus.

They're discovering what Christians have always known Christ offers love, forgiveness, and hope while Islam offers only fear and punishment.

The Holy Virgin Mary metro station, though potentially propaganda, inadvertently acknowledges Christianity's growing influence.

Islam cannot satisfy the human soul's deepest longings. Despite severe persecution, imprisonment, and death threats, Iranian believers multiply.

This underground church movement represents the Holy Spirit's unstoppable work. Western Christians must support these courageous believers through prayer and advocacy.

Iran's transformation foreshadows what could happen across the entire Middle East when people encounter Christ's truth.

Take Action: Support Iranian Christians

Voice of the Martyrs - Pray for Iran: https://www.persecution.com/countries/iran/

Open Doors USA - Iranian Believers: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/iran/

Support Ministries Broadcasting the Gospel into Iran: The Tide Ministry and similar organizations need support for radio broadcasts reaching Iranians with the Gospel.

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