CBN’s Jerusalem studio recently sat like a lighthouse in a storm, as hosts Chris Mitchell and Joshua Swanson led viewers in prayer for the people of Iran. Broadcasting from the heart of the Holy Land is no accident — Jerusalem is a place where faith and freedom meet, and CBN’s message was clear: American believers must not be silent while tyrants oppress their neighbors. It was a reminder that prayer and principle still matter in a world where cowardice and compromise too often win the day.
The reason for the prayers is obvious to any patriot who pays attention: Iranians are suffering under a repressive theocracy that jails, tortures, and persecutes those who dare to seek freedom. From women demanding basic rights to Christians and other minorities living in fear, the Iranian regime continues to crush dissent and export terror abroad. We cannot — and should not — pretend this is a complicated moral gray area; it is an ugly clash between liberty and Islamist totalitarianism.
It is shameful that much of the mainstream media treats these human tragedies as footnotes while lecturing Americans about nuance and restraint. That’s why outlets like CBN matter — they refuse to let the victims be invisible and they call the oppressors what they are. Prayer without action is incomplete, but action without moral clarity becomes muddled; both faith and resolve are needed now.
Our leaders in Washington must hear this cry. We should be demanding stronger measures: targeted sanctions, secure asylum for persecuted Iranians, and diplomatic pressure that does not reward brutality. Appeasement and naïveté toward Tehran only embolden a regime that dreams of regional domination while murdering and silencing its own people.
Jerusalem’s role in this moment is more than symbolic. It represents a coalition of faith and freedom that stands in stark contrast to the mullahs’ dark vision. Israelis and American Christians have every right to stand shoulder to shoulder with Iran’s freedom-seekers and with one another, because the fight against Islamist tyranny is a fight for civilization itself.
To pastors, policymakers, and everyday Americans: don’t look away. Mobilize your congregations, support organizations helping refugees and underground believers, and pressure politicians to act with courage. Prayer from Jerusalem should be a spark that ignites real, sustained support for those risking everything for liberty.
We must never lose our moral backbone or our faith in freedom. God bless the brave Iranians standing up to oppression, and God bless the Americans who will stand with them until liberty wins.
