Nowruz — the Persian New Year — is one of the most joyful occasions in Iranian culture, a time of family reunion, spring celebration, and renewal. This year, for Iranian Christians inside the country and in the diaspora, it was something different: a subdued gathering marked by the difficulty of connection, the weight of ongoing conflict, and the particular grief of families separated by both geography and communication blackout.

Elam Ministries, which supports the rapidly growing underground church in Iran, has reported on the experience of Iranian Christians during Nowruz 2026. A countrywide internet blackout made it difficult for diaspora families to reach loved ones inside Iran, adding a layer of isolation to what is already a painful separation. For those who have left Iran because of their faith — and there are many — the inability to even speak with family during a major festival is a sharp reminder of the cost of following Jesus in that context.

In Brussels, the Iranian Church gathered for a special service focused on Ephesians 4:1–6 and the theme of 'Unity and Hope'. The service was an act of communal resilience: a community choosing to celebrate together, to hold onto hope, and to look forward to a day when families can reunite in a peaceful homeland.

Elam Ministries exists to serve and strengthen the Iranian church, and stories like this one are a reminder of why that work matters. The Iranian church is one of the fastest-growing in the world, but it grows in the context of surveillance, arrest, and the constant pressure of a state that views Christian conversion as a threat. Prayer for Iranian believers — and for the diaspora communities that sustain them — is one of the most concrete acts of solidarity that UK Christians can offer.