Escalating Pressure on Religious Sites
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has initiated a move to seize the Saint Peter Evangelical Church in central Tehran, a historic site that has served the city’s Protestant community for nearly 150 years. According to reports from the Synod of the Evangelical Church of Iran in Diaspora (SECID), security forces have begun occupying parts of the compound, designating current residents and church employees as trespassers.
The Saint Peter Evangelical Church, located on Si-e-Tir Street, was established in 1876 on land granted by the Qajar monarch Naser al-Din Shah. Sasan Tavassoli, a minister with the Presbyterian Church in Iran, reported that security personnel recently entered the premises under the guise of “identifying” occupants, subsequently threatening full eviction. A 10,000-square-meter garden belonging to the church has already been seized, with new property deeds reportedly issued in the name of the Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order (EIKO).
Strategic Real Estate and Religious Repression
Church leaders describe the move as a significant assault on the remaining Christian footprint in Iran. The property, valued at tens of millions of dollars due to its prime central location, is seen by observers as a target for both its economic worth and its symbolic role as a center for Persian-language Christian worship. This incident follows the destruction of the Evangelical Church of Mashhad on June 4, suggesting a systematic campaign to dismantle Protestant institutions.
The SECID has issued an urgent international appeal, warning that the regime is emboldened by a perceived lack of external consequences. While some recognized religious minorities in Iran maintain a degree of protected status, Protestant and evangelical groups—particularly those conducting services in Persian—face persistent surveillance, closures, and asset seizures.
Security Operations in the Northwest
Parallel to these internal measures, the IRGC reported a separate operation in northwestern Iran, claiming it successfully ambushed and killed six individuals identified as members of a “separatist cell.” According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the group was accused of attempting to enter the country to conduct acts of sabotage. The simultaneous focus on domestic religious organizations and border security operations underscores the IRGC’s tightening control over both ideological and geographic peripheries.