Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, historically known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south. With a population of over 92 million, Iran ranks 17th globally in both geographic size and population. It is divided into five regions with 31 provinces. Tehran is the nation's capital and largest city and serves as its primary economic centre. Home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, the territory of present-day Iran was first unified under the Medes in the 7th century BC and reached its territorial height in the 6th century BC, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire. Alexander the Great conquered the empire in the 4th century BC. An Iranian rebellion in the 3rd century BC established the Parthian Empire, which later liberated the country. In the 3rd century AD, the Parthians were succeeded by the Sasanian Empire, which oversaw a golden age in the history of Iranian civilization. Ancient Iran saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture, urbanization, religion, and administration. Once a center for Zoroastrianism, Iran underwent Islamization following the 7th century Muslim conquest. Innovations in literature, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, astronomy and art were renewed during the Islamic Golden Age and Iranian Intermezzo, a period during which Iranian Muslim dynasties ended Arab rule and revived the Persian language. This era was followed by Seljuk and Khwarazmian rule, Mongol conquests and the Timurid Renaissance from the 11th to 14th centuries. In the 16th century, the native Safavid dynasty re-established a unified Iranian state with Twelver Shia Islam as the official religion, laying the framework for the modern state of Iran. During the Afsharid Empire in the 18th century, Iran was a leading world power, but it lost this status after the Qajars took power in the 1790s. The early 20th century saw the Persian Constitutional Revolution and the establishment of the Pahlavi dynasty by Reza Shah, who ousted the last Qajar Shah in 1925. Following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941, his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi rose to power. Attempts by Mohammad Mosaddegh to nationalize the oil industry led to the Anglo-American coup in 1953. The Iranian Revolution in 1979 overthrew the monarchy, and the Islamic Republic of Iran was established by Ruhollah Khomeini, the country's first supreme leader. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, sparking the eight-year-long Iran–Iraq War. Iran has since been involved in proxy wars with Israel and Saudi Arabia; in 2025, Israeli strikes on Iran escalated tensions into the Twelve-Day War. Following the war and amid a growing economic crisis, the largest protests since 1979 erupted in 2025. The United States and Israel launched a war with Iran in 2026, after they assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was subsequently elected as his successor. Iran's government is a theocratic Islamic republic governed by elected and unelected institutions, with ultimate authority vested in the supreme leader. While it holds elections, key offices, including the head of state and military, are not subject to public vote. The Iranian government is an authoritarian regime which has been widely criticized internationally due to poor human rights record, including restrictions on freedom of assembly, expression, and the press, as well as its treatment of women, ethnic minorities, and political dissidents. The Iranian economy is centrally planned with significant state ownership in key sectors. It is a regional power, due to its large reserves of fossil fuels, natural gas supply and oil reserves, its geopolitically significant location, and its role as the world's focal point of Shia Islam. Iran is a threshold state with one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs. It is a founding member of the UN and a member state of numerous international organizations. Iran has 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the 10th-highest in the world) and ranks 4th in intangible cultural heritage or human treasures.
Trump ordered military not to conduct strikes in Iran Friday President Trump directed the U.S. military not to conduct new strikes in Iran on Friday, breaking a nearly two-week streak of daily attacks, two sources with knowledge of the decision said. The president's directive came after he approved daily strikes over the previous 13 days. It is unclear if Trump's order on Friday was a one-off or whether the lull will continue. Trump's decision reflects both his willingness to provide more space for diplomacy and a recognition that — short of a return to major combat operations — the current level of U.S. strikes has reached the limit of its effectiveness. If Trump orders a return to strikes, the U.S. military can mobilize on relatively short notice. The U.S. military is still preparing plans for a possible return to major combat operations, but Trump hasn't given orders to move in that direction, the sources said. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. (Axios 7.25.26)READMORE>>>>>> US launches fresh strikes on Iran as Trump warns Tehran it 'better behave' The US said it had launched a fresh wave of strikes against Iran on Wednesday as President Donald Trump warned Tehran it "better behave". The US military said "Iranian military capabilities used to threaten vessels" moving through the Strait of Hormuz had been targeted, and that it had also fired on a ship attempting to violate its renewed blockade of Iran's ports. It came after Iran claimed it had struck US military targets in the region, including in Bahrain and Kuwait, as a fifth day of renewed hostilities strained their preliminary deal to end the war. Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, told state media Tehran had "no reason" to abide by the deal if it did not benefit from it. (BBC 7.15.26)READMORE>>>>>> How Iran's new regime is very different to what came before When US President Donald Trump signed a ceasefire agreement with Iran during dinner at the Palace of Versailles last month, many saw an irony. His host, French President Emanuel Macron, may have wanted to make sure the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed before Trump changed his mind, and possibly calculated that the gilded Hall of Mirrors would appeal to his guest. But the choice of venue inevitably invited comparisons between the one-and-a-half page agreement and the extremely lengthy Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919 at the end of World War One. The 1919 treaty reshaped Europe, but its demands for huge reparations left an angry and embittered Germany and helped to set the stage for another global conflagration just 20 years later. Might the Iran deal, different in so many ways, nevertheless come to be seen as similarly fateful? (BBC 7.5.26)READMORE>>>>>> Iran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025 Only a man with an unparalleled ignorance of history such as Donald Trump would have signed America’s peace treaty with Iran at Versailles, the byword for national humiliation. And only a man with an impish sense of humour such as Emmanuel Macron would have suggested it. t is easy to cast Trump in the role of the humiliated and hurt German count Ulrich von Brockdorff-Rantzau. The treaty of Versailles, after all, was based on 14 points, just as the memorandum of understanding has 14 clauses.(The Guardian 6.18.26)READMORE>>>>>> A new exchange of fire with Iran in the Gulf tests the fragile ceasefire Iran fired ballistic missiles and drones toward Bahrain and Kuwait that were intercepted early Saturday, Bahrain’s government said, and called on Tehran to halt attacks on Gulf neighbors that test a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Iran said that it targeted American military assets in both countries, after the U.S. attacked surveillance facilities on Qeshm Island and near Sirik that Iran said were used to protect borders and “ensure the security of navigation in international waters.” Tehran called the attack a ceasefire violation. Later Saturday, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces had shot down two Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz (Associated Press 6.6.26)READMORE>>>>>> Iran warns of readiness for war and economic costs as US talks falter Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran remains ready to resume direct military conflict with the United States, if negotiations fail to produce acceptable results. Amid a stream of state-orchestrated messaging to both domestic and foreign audiences, Araghchi also warned that despite the damage the US-Israel war on Iran has done to the region, it is also impacting ordinary American households. US energy and inflation costs have increased significantly since the conflict began on February 28, resulting in the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, where around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas is normally shipped. (Aljazeera 5.17.26)READMORE>>>>> CIA analysis suggests Iran could withstand blockade for 4 more months Efforts to end the war between the U.S. and Iran appeared to stall as the two sides traded fire in the Gulf on Friday, while a U.S. intelligence analysis concluded Tehran could withstand a naval blockade for another four months. A CIA assessment indicated that Iran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter, suggesting that U.S. leverage over Tehran remains limited as the two sides seek to end a conflict that has been unpopular with U.S. voters. (CBC 5.8.26)READMORE>>>>> No Quarter? American Evangelicals and Political Violence In a March 13 press briefing on the escalating war in Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted of the prowess of American military capabilities in contrast to the destruction of Iran’s “meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before.” To further emphasize this point, he went on to say, “We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.” Many critics singled out the “no quarter” qualification, noting the potential for escalating desperation during combat. Moreover, many registered alarm at the prospect of refusing surrender to combatants, as “no quarter” is a wartime reference tied to allowing enemies to lay down arms. Ultimately, such a violent declaration of wartime policy, which deviates from precedent, raises the question of what lies behind this approach. This Spotlight Analysis examines views on political violence and its relationship to the religious right and American evangelicalism. (PRRI 5.9.26)READMORE>>>>> May 3, 2026:
Trump Day 468 NOTES & BYTES
 Zorek
Trump Day 468:
--The Supreme Court’s ruling on Wednesday has given even more leeway to lawmakers to draw districts for their party’s benefit. And all of those developments have come against a backdrop of technological advances, with mapmakers able to identify Democratic and Republican voters down to the census block. (Reuters) Trump Day 468: --Donald Trump said on Saturday he had been told about the concept of a deal with Iran, but was waiting for the exact wording, while warning there was still the possibility of restarting strikes on the country if Tehran misbehaves. A senior Iranian official said on Saturday that an Iranian proposal so far rejected by Trump would open shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and end the U.S. blockade of Iran while leaving talks on Iran's nuclear program for later. Trump Day 468: --U.S. travelers lamented news of the shutdown of Spirit Airlines, opens new tab on Saturday, saying that the closure of the ultra-low-cost carrier eliminates one of the few air travel options for low-income and working-class Americans. Spirit abruptly cancelled flights overnight, stranding passengers and staff around the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America, after collapsing under financial pressures that included a sharp rise in fuel costs due to the Iran war. (As President, Trump can now destroy othere peoples businesses and not just his own. ) Trump Day 468: --Trump this week lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, calling him "totally ineffective." On Friday, the Pentagon said it would cut 5,000 of the 36,400 troops it has stationed in Germany, and increase tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union, a move that will hit Germany hardest. (All because Trumps war was criticized) “I’m a Never Trump guy.”….“My god, what an idiot.”…“He is America’s Hitler” -J.D. Vance before becoming VP Nominee. Opinion: Donald Trump, Roman Catholics and white evangelicals I offer these anecdotes not as a gratuitous jaunt down memory lane but to provide perspective on the war of words between Donald Trump and Leo XIV. After the pontiff questioned the morality of the war in Iran, Trump responded that Leo was “weak on crime,” adding, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.” J.D. Vance, a recent convert to Catholicism, chimed in by admonishing the pope “to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” Hmm. If the pope can’t talk theology, who can? (Concord Monitor 5.2.26)READMORE>>>>>
Trump’s Holy War Abroad and at Home After more than a month into the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran, President Donald Trump addressed the nation directly for the first time on Wednesday about why he dragged the country into an unprovoked illegal war. During his wide-ranging speech, Trump made numerous false claims, including repeatedly emphasizing the nuclear threat Iran posed. The reasons the Trump administration have given for partnering with Israel in this war have been varying and at times include religious undertones, especially from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth regularly infuses Christian right rhetoric in how he speaks about the war on Iran and the military more broadly. During a recent religious service at the Pentagon, Hegseth prayed for God to give U.S. troops “wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” “Hegseth belongs to a denomination called the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. … [He] believes that he is carrying out a spiritual and actual war to vanquish a Christian nation’s enemies and protect and promote a Christian nation,” explains investigative journalist Sarah Posner, who covers the religious right, on The Intercept Briefing. “For Hegseth, biblical law is the only law he feels obligated to obey. The law of war, international law governing military conflicts, and human rights and civilian rights in war — he believes don’t apply to him.” (The Intercept 4.3.26) READ MORE>>>>>> There is no holy war As missiles rained down on Tehran on February 28th, prominent evangelical Jack Graham tweeted: “May God give our military total victory as we liberate the Persian people and end decades of oppression and terror in the region… This is a just war and a noble operation.” This attempt to sacralize military action as ordained and supported by God gives an opportunity for a different sort of Christian witness: for peace. At the end of the day, we need Christians to bear witness to the fact that war can never be holy; it is always a failure and cause for grief. Those marshaling religious language to support this conflict often link the war to prophecies of Christ’s return. Christian musician and activist Sean Feucht said that “when this regime is prayerfully removed and the people are able to freely worship Jesus … we’re going to see the gospel go forth like never before.” Christians United for Israel founder John Hagee said that “prophetically, we’re right on cue,” and Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Church in Riverside, California, connected ancient Persia’s role in a conflict with Israel to modern-day Iran and urged his followers to follow Christ’s command to “look up,” a reference to Luke 21:28. (The Christian Century; 3.31.26)READMORE>>>>>> |
January 10, 2026: Christian Post reported: Two Christians in Iran sentenced to prison for their faith were locked up on Dec. 16 and 20, and a Christian woman was summoned to begin serving her five-year prison term two days before Christmas, according to an advocacy group dedicated promotion of religious freedom in Iran. Nayereh Arjaneh, arrested along with her husband at their home in Garmsar on July 7, 2025, began serving her term in Semnan Prison on Dec. 23 after her conviction for “promoting deviant propaganda and teachings contrary to Islamic law” — that is, practicing and manifesting her faith, said Article 18.
February 13, 2026: Religion News Service reported: The prime minister laid out components he considers essential in any deal with Iran to ensure the security of Israel, the US, the region and the world. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "very skeptical" about any future deal with Iran and that he raised concerns with US President Donald Trump that "the Iranians are lying." Speaking at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations’ 51st Annual National Leadership Mission in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu said he just returned from the US, where he held "a very important meeting" with Trump focused on Iran.
March 3, 2026: People For the American Way reported: When Israel launched an attack on Iran in June of 2025, religious-right activists celebrated, excited by the prospect that it could precipitate the End Times and the return of Jesus Christ. Predictably, these same religious-right activists are once again overjoyed after the United States and Israel began jointly bombing Iran over the weekend, killing the nation's supreme leader and dozens of top military commanders. While the attack has generated retaliatory strikes and fears of a wider Middle East war, evangelical Trump supporters are gushing over President Donald Trump's action, with megachurch pastor Jack Hibbs declaring that "for such a time as this, this man is being led by God."
February 26, 2026: Christianity Toiday reported: How should American Christians think about Iran, which US and Israeli forces are now attacking with the stated aim of overthrowing its Islamist regime?
Saturday night, President Donald Trump announced that Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei had been killed in a strike, and Iranian state media soon confirmed it. And since late December, Iran’s dictatorship has reportedly killed thousands of anti-government protesters, which has been typical of its repressive theocratic rule across 47 years. Historically known as Persia, Iran is a rare nation to have endured since Bible times. Straddling the crossroads of the world, it sits on the Persian Gulf, with Russia to the north, Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east, Iraq and Turkey to the west, and the wealthy oil sheikhdoms to the south. March 5, 2026: Juicy Ecumenism reported: The Trump administration’s decision to launch an attack on Iran on Saturday has met with division among prominent Christian voices. Some evangelicals shaped by premillennial dispensationalism view the war through a lens of Revelation’s apocalyptic prophecy about the final day of judgment, while others support or oppose the attack for varying reasons. Christians preaching end-times rhetoric include Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie and televangelist John Hagee. Laurie connected modern day Russia to “Magog,” from the book of Ezekiel chapter 38 which prophesies that Magog will attack Israel and be destroyed by God in recompense. “One of the allies of Magog is Persia,” Laurie determined, “now known as Iran.” Although he does not believe Magog has yet attacked Israel, he calls for Christians to be prepared for the Rapture to come after.
March 10, 2026: KOB4 reported: U.S. Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day yet of U.S. strikes inside Iran. The Islamic Republic, its firepower diminished, vowed to fight on. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war’s aim is a popular overthrow of Iran’s government, and “we are breaking their bones.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump “is not making anything up” as he offers varying justifications for launching the war. The U.S. stock market and oil prices were holding relatively steady Tuesday after Trump’s signals about how long the war could last caused wild swings in financial and fuel markets. The Pentagon, meanwhile, offered its first tally of American wounded, saying about 140 U.S. troops have been injured, eight severely. April 10, 2026: The Guardian reported: Nine months and six days before a Tomahawk missile tore through the gaily decorated classrooms of the Shajareh Tayyebeh elementary school in Minab, Iran, ripping apart the bodies of schoolchildren, teachers and parents, the personal pastor of the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, delivered a sermon at the Pentagon. “There’s a temptation to think that you’re actually in control and responsible for final outcomes, especially for those who issue the commands and do the aiming and the shooting,” preached Brooks Potteiger, Hegseth’s closest spiritual adviser, at the first of what have become monthly Christian worship services at the Department of Defense. “But you are not ultimately in charge of the world.” |