Lindisfarne analysis May 2026

Last week Iran’s ambassador to the UK was “summoned” to the UK Foreign Office, which is diplomatic language for a strongly worded protest by the host government, not quite expelling diplomats. But not far short.

The reason for the public dressing down of the ambassador was that the Iranian embassy had just posted on social media an invitation for Iranians living in the UK to register their interest in becoming martyrs for the Islamic Republic:

“‘All brave and distinguished children of Iran are invited to participate consciously and register in this campaign, adding another golden page to the book of honours of this ancient land and demonstrating that their hearts are bound to the dignity and greatness of their homeland….Let us all, one and all, give our lives in battle. Rather than surrender our country to the enemy.”

Understandably, the UK government viewed this as “encouraging violence in the UK or internationally.”

Transnational persecution

However, there is a bigger issue going on here – and one that directly affects Iranian Christians in the West. It is summed up by a new word that counter-terrorism experts have begun to use “transnational repression” – it basically means that repressive governments overseas don’t just persecute people in their own country – they are now starting to follow them when they flee as refugees to countries in the West.

This is a risk that those monitoring persecution of Christians have been aware of for some time.

In a general sense this sort of thing has been going on for quite a long time. Since the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution, the Iranian regime is known to have been behind  at least 218 terrorist plots and attempted assassinations in the West, with roughly half of those in Europe. 

However, what alerted counter-terrorism experts that things were getting significantly worse was an attempt to bomb a large meeting of an Iranian opposition group in Paris in 2018, a plot which involved amongst others, an Iranian diplomat.

Since then there has been a massive increase in similar actions by the Iranian regime in the West. An analysis published in October 2024 showed that more than half of the 102 Iranian terror plots and attempts to assassinate ‘dissidents’ that have happened in Europe since 1979 – had occurred since 2021. While in October 2025 the Head of MI5 warned that since 2022 UK security services had foiled 20 “potentially lethal” Iranian backed plots in the UK.

How the Iranian regime views Iranian Christians in the West

So, how does this affect Iranian Christians in the West?

Firstly, because as the UK Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee recently observed, these attacks are not primarily against the UK itself, but against individuals living in the UK who the Iranian regime regards as “enemies”. That  sadly, includes Iranian Christians and anyone else who has fled the regime.

Secondly, the Iranian constitution describes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as “an ideological army” with specific responsibility for protecting the revolution at home and spreading it overseas:

“An Ideological Army

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are to be organized in conformity with this goal, and they will be responsible not only for guarding and preserving the frontiers of the country, but also for fulfilling the ideological mission of jihad in God’s way; that is, extending the sovereignty of God’s law throughout the world; (this is in accordance with the Qur'anic verse "Prepare against them whatever force you are able to muster, and strings of horses, striking fear into the enemy of God and your enemy, and others besides them" [8:60]).”

So, any criticism of the regime by Iranians in the West – whether Christians or others is viewed as a threat. That is why for years journalists working for BBC Persian service– and their families back in Iran have been subjected to repeated and ongoing threats and intimidation, something which in the last year has increased significantly.

Whilst published counter-terrorism reports and briefings prepared for MPs normally only refer to Iranian ‘dissidents’ being targeted, a number of other sources recount similar intimidation tactics against Iranian Christian refugees in the West. These include a series of reports produced by International Christian Consulate about Greek refugee camps in 2016-18 at the height of the European refugee crisis. Around 90 percent of Christians refugees in the camps surveyed were Iranian, almost all of whom were subjected to high levels of surveillance, violence and intimidation. Whilst the report does not specifically attribute this to Iranian state agents, it quotes a doctor working in the camps, who observed:

“Unfortunately, they left Iran, and showed up in Iran. These camps are like mini-Iran or mini-Afghanistan, with the same persecution as what they left in their home countries. I can see that even from what I’m looking at medically.”

A further indication of Iranian surveillance in the West occurred last October when the US government deported 100 Iranians who had not yet been granted asylum, back to Iran. A report of what happened when they landed in Iran shows the Iranian authorities clearly already had significant information about those who were Christians:

“When the plane landed in Tehran, Iranian state media was already waiting. Refugees were lined up, searched, and their belongings seized. Particularly alarming was the targeting of 10-15 Christian converts, who were forced to display their Bibles and crosses on camera while being interrogated.”

“They were then separated into individual rooms where they were coerced into making video confessions, statements discrediting their conversions, claiming they were misled by pastors, and admitting they had sought Christianity merely to gain asylum. These staged confessions are expected to be broadcast soon by Iranian state television as part of propaganda against both Christianity and the United States,”

The implication is that, unless the US government itself had passed this information onto the Iranian regime, the Iranian authorities had been undertaking surveillance on Iranian Christians in the USA.

So, what does this mean for Iranian Christians in the West?

This matters because whilst the Iranian regime may only have been monitoring Iranian Christians in the West to date, it has been rapidly expanding its activity in the last 4-5 years. 

It has been  intensifying its actions particularly since the current round of conflicts between US/Israel and Iran began in 2024. That matters because, whilst previously it was known to have been undertaking surveillance on Jewish targets in the UK, it is now openly instigating attacks against them. This has also been a period when we have seen a significant intensification of persecution of Christians in Iran itself.

Similarly, the recent use of lethal force against thousands of protestors on the streets of Iran can only heighten the risk of further escalation against those perceived to be enemies of the regime in the West – including sadly Christians.

Then of course, there is the attempt to recruit ‘martyrs’ by the Iranian embassy in London.

That is not to say, that there is a specific threat against churches or individual Christians, but it is a time when there is a need for greater vigilance and prayer.

Please pray for Iranian Christians both in Iran – and in the West

If you are concerned about security for your church

-            The UK government has published some simple general guidance about security for organisations HERE

-            You can also ask your local police for advice

-            There is also a UK government scheme providing funding for extra security for places of worship HERE