Iran Christians Fear Isolation As Parliament Moves To Criminalize Foreign Contacts (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

TEHRAN (Worthy News) – Evangelical Christians in Tehran fear they will become further isolated after Iran’s parliament advanced legislation that would increase punishments for Iranians who interact with foreign media outlets, organizations, or individuals.

“Soon we will not be able to have contact with the outside world,” a devout Christian in Tehran told Worthy News through a contact.

Worthy News did not identify the Christian amid heightened security concerns. He said it was already becoming increasingly difficult for believers to gather outside state-sanctioned denominations.

Iran’s Islamic leadership has been cracking down on what it views as foreign-linked groups, often targeting house churches that include Christian converts from Muslim backgrounds, Worthy News established.

With war raging, minority Christians and others whom Tehran considers threatening to its power base face growing pressure.

CHRISTIANS UNDER PRESSURE

Iran ranks 10th on Christian advocacy group Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of 50 countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. Open Doors says converts are particularly vulnerable as authorities often view them as sympathizing with the West.

The latest concerns follow parliament’s approval of the broad outlines of a proposed law imposing sweeping restrictions on contacts with foreign institutions, media and organizations as authorities seek to expand measures against what they describe as “foreign influence.”

Under the proposed legislation, contacts with foreign media, cooperation with overseas universities and research institutions, communication with foreign embassies and organizations, and receipt of foreign financial support could be prohibited, require prior authorization or carry criminal penalties.

Contact with U.S. media entities, foreign embassies or institutions—whether inside or outside Iran—could result in imprisonment of up to two years unless explicit written permission is obtained from the Foreign Ministry, according to reports about the legislation.

Other provisions reportedly foresee prison terms ranging from six months to two years for interviews or discussions with media deemed “hostile” to the Islamic Republic.

PRISON TERMS THREATENED

Educational and research activities linked to certain foreign entities could carry sentences of up to 10 years for those involved in activities deemed “incompatible with Iranian culture.”

The concerns are not theoretical. Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced this month to 15 years in prison under a separate law passed in 2025 over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to organizations linked to the United States and Israel.

Iran already has strict laws against providing information to foreign-based Persian-language media outlets, including Iran International, U.S.-funded Voice of America’s Persian service and Britain’s BBC Persian.

However, critics say the proposed law goes significantly further by potentially criminalizing a much broader range of written or verbal contacts with foreigners.

For evangelical Christians, the measures could be particularly consequential because believers in unofficial churches often rely on contact with fellow Christians, ministries and religious organizations outside Iran for fellowship, teaching and other support.

CHRISTIAN CONTACTS

That concern is especially acute among converts from Islam, whose contacts with churches and Christian organizations abroad have previously been cited by authorities in cases involving alleged threats to national security.

Sina Yousefi, an Iranian lawyer and legal expert based in Germany, warned that uncertainty over what constitutes legitimate foreign contact could itself discourage Iranians from communicating internationally.

“When a citizen does not know whether speaking to foreign media, cooperating with a foreign university or sharing information could later be treated as a criminal act, the law creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity,” Yousefi told Germany’s broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

Iran already ranks 177th out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders’ 2026 World Press Freedom Index, while authorities control domestic broadcasting and have repeatedly restricted internet and social-media access during unrest.

Some Iranians have reportedly switched to domestic communications platforms to avoid technical or security problems associated with foreign applications, though critics fear locally operated services could make government surveillance easier.

FOREIGN INFLUENCE FEARS

The proposed law could also have far-reaching consequences for universities, researchers and civil society groups because some forms of cooperation with foreign institutions would become dependent on government or intelligence-service approval.

Supporters argue the measures are needed to combat foreign intelligence operations and protect Iran against infiltration, particularly amid its confrontation with the United States and Israel.

Iran’s clerical leadership has long expressed fears about foreign influence, but those concerns have intensified following military conflicts with Israel and the United States and allegations of extensive foreign intelligence operations inside the Islamic Republic.

Professor Mohamadyaser Ershadmanesh, an adviser to senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officer Yahya Rahim Safavi, defended the proposed restrictions as necessary to counter individuals and organizations working against Iran’s interests.

He cited alleged activities by Israel’s Mossad, the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Britain’s MI6, arguing that criminalizing some cooperation with foreigners would strengthen Iran’s national security.

BILL AWAITS APPROVAL

Critics, however, fear the broadly worded law could provide authorities with another mechanism to prosecute political opponents, human rights activists, journalists, academics and religious minorities.

The bill still requires further consideration and approval before becoming law.

The legislation is widely expected to receive final approval as the ongoing war against the United States and Israel has prompted Iran’s rulers to seek tighter controls over Iranians’ contacts with the outside world.

Iran officially recognizes some historic Christian communities, particularly Armenian and Assyrian Christians, but Persian-speaking converts and members of unofficial house churches face considerably greater restrictions.

For Christians already worshipping discreetly, the prospect of further restrictions on communications has heightened fears that Iran could become even more isolated from the outside world and that maintaining contact with fellow believers abroad could carry an increasingly severe personal risk.

Despite decades of pressure, Christianity has maintained a significant presence in the Islamic Republic. Open Doors estimates that Iran has about 800,000 Christians, many of them converts from Islam.

Latest Worthy News