Iran Seizes Tehran's Oldest Protestant Church After 150 Years
Iranian authorities have confiscated St. Peter's Evangelical Church in Tehran, a 150-year-old Protestant institution. The state-controlled Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order claimed the 10-acre compound under a 1998 Revolutionary Court order. About 20 families living on the property have been ordered to leave.
Iranian authorities have moved to finalize the seizure of St. Peter's Evangelical Church in Tehran, the country's oldest Protestant church, effectively shutting it down after 150 years of operation.
The Execution of Imam Khomeini's Order (EIKO), a powerful state-controlled entity, issued a deed in June 2026 declaring the entire 10-acre compound, including the sanctuary, two schools, and residential units, the property of the state. The legal basis cited is a 1998 Islamic Revolutionary Court order.
Church leaders say they were never properly notified of the 1998 ruling and only discovered it in 2008. When they tried to contest it, they were denied a meaningful hearing.
About 20 families, mostly Armenian and Assyrian Christians, lived in the compound's residential units. By mid-July 2026, many had already fled after threats from security forces. Government officials sealed the church's administrative offices and banned all religious gatherings.
The closure follows a pattern of recent seizures. In June 2026, a Presbyterian church in Mashhad was demolished. Properties in Tabriz, Karaj, and Gorgan have also been shut down.
The World Council of Churches condemned the action and urged Iran to halt the confiscations. Despite the crackdown, underground church networks continue to operate, though the state prohibits Persian-language worship and bans converts from Islam.
Founded in 1876, St. Peter's served as a historic center for Iran's Christian minority for generations. Its closure marks one of the most significant acts of religious suppression against the country's Protestant community in recent memory.
