Erfan Soltani: The Face of Iran's Massacre

Introduction: One Name Among Thousands

Erfan Soltani.

Remember that name.

He’s 26 years old. He was arrested on January 8, 2026, in his home in Fardis, near Tehran. Within days, the Islamic Republic announced he would be executed for “waging war against God.”

His crime? Protesting the ayatollahs.

Erfan’s family hasn’t been able to see him. His second cousin Somayeh, living in Germany, felt responsible to “make sure his voice was heard, so that maybe this sentence could be overturned.”

As of January 15, 2026, Iranian judiciary officials claimed his death sentence was postponed, then later denied he was ever sentenced to death at all—typical regime doublespeak while they hold him in Karaj Central Penitentiary on charges that could still mean years in prison.

But here’s what you need to understand:

Erfan Soltani is not alone.

He is one face in a massacre of thousands.

January 10, 2026: At least 2,000 protesters killed in 48 hours during internet blackout
January 13, 2026: Death toll reaches at least 12,000 (possibly 20,000)
January 14, 2026: Human Rights Activists News Agency reports 2,400+ confirmed killed
January 17, 2026: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei acknowledges “thousands killed”

This is the largest massacre in modern Iranian history.

And while the world watches, debates, and moves on to the next news cycle—Iranian mothers bury their children, Iranian widows weep for husbands, Iranian orphans wake up fatherless.

God sees them all.

Every single one.

And He will hold the oppressors accountable.

Who Is Erfan Soltani?

A Young Man with Everything to Lose

Erfan Soltani is 26 years old—just beginning his adult life. He has:
– Family who love him
– Dreams for his future
– A home in Fardis (near Tehran)
– Everything to lose

And he chose to protest anyway.

The Arrest: January 8, 2026

On January 8, during nationwide anti-government protests, security forces arrested Erfan in his home.

No warning. No warrant (or if there was, it was rubber-stamped by a regime court). Just armed men taking him away while his family watched helplessly.

Within hours, he was in custody. Within days, the regime announced he’d been sentenced to death.

The Charge: “Waging War Against God”

The Islamic Republic charged him with moharebeh—”waging war against God.”

Under Iranian Islamic law, this is a capital offense punishable by death.

What does it actually mean?

In practice, the regime uses this charge against anyone who challenges their authority:
– Political protesters
– Journalists
– Human rights activists
– Christians who evangelize
– Anyone the regime wants silenced permanently

Moharebeh translates literally as “corruption on earth” or “enmity against God.” It’s the ultimate religious justification for political execution.

Translation: If you oppose the ayatollahs, you oppose Allah himself.

The Trial That Wasn’t

Human rights organizations report:
– Erfan was denied a lawyer
– He was not given a trial before sentencing
– The entire process took days, not weeks or months
– It was a show trial designed to terrorize other protesters

This is how the Islamic Republic operates: Arrest, charge, execute. Sometimes all within a week.

Current Status (January 18, 2026)

As of this writing:
– Iranian judiciary denies he was ever sentenced to death
– Claims he faces lesser charges: “gathering and colluding against national security”
– Holds him at Karaj Central Penitentiary
– Family still unable to see him in person

The regime’s story keeps changing because they know the world is watching Erfan’s case.

But while we watch one young man’s fate, thousands have already been killed.

The January 2026 Massacre: What’s Happening

How It Started

December 28, 2025: Protests erupted across Iran triggered by:
– Economic crisis (inflation, unemployment, poverty)
– Deepening oppression
– Decades of broken promises
– Frustration boiling over into rage

This isn’t just about economics. This is about 47 years of Islamic tyranny.

The Regime’s Response: Live Fire

When protests spread, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave the order:

“Use live ammunition.”

Security forces opened fire on crowds. Not tear gas. Not rubber bullets. Live rounds aimed to kill.

The result:
– January 10, 2026: 2,000+ killed in 48 hours
– Cities turned into war zones
– Internet shut down to hide the slaughter
– Videos smuggled out showing bodies in streets
– Mass graves being dug

Martial Law Across Iran

“Iran is under TOTAL martial law. Khamenei’s armed forces are going around from neighborhood to neighborhood terrorizing civilians threatening to kill anyone who comes out at night.”

“Multiple accounts from citizens in various cities across Iran indicate that the atmosphere of martial law and the control of movement and daily activities of citizens has intensified following the widespread crackdown and killings on Thursday and Friday.”

Checkpoints everywhere:
– IRGC (Revolutionary Guards) stopping vehicles
– Checking citizens’ mobile phones for protest photos/videos
– Confiscating phones
– Arresting anyone with “suspicious” content
– From 6 PM onwards: military atmosphere

One citizen from Torbat-e Jam: “People are only allowed to leave for shopping.”

Internet Blackout Until March

“An Iranian government spokesperson said that the Iranian government has no plans to lift the internet shutdown before mid-March.”

Why? To hide the killings. To prevent videos from getting out. To isolate protesters from each other and from the world.

But videos are still leaking out. Smuggled on flash drives. Sent through VPNs. Risking death to document the truth.

The Death Toll

Official numbers vary because the regime is hiding bodies:

Conservative estimates:
– January 14: 2,400+ killed (Human Rights Activists News Agency)
– January 13: 12,000+ killed (Iran International, CBS News)
– Some activist groups estimate: 20,000+ killed

Iran’s Khamenei admits: “Thousands killed”

Even the regime can’t hide the scale anymore.

The Regime’s Lies

Hassan Khomeini (grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the revolution’s founder):

“These protesters are ISIS activists who came from outside Iran… This violence is in the style of ISIS. Behind the scenes there is a large current that is like ISIS that came to us from several neighboring countries.”

This is a lie.

The protesters are:
– Iranian mothers and fathers
– Young people with no future
– Students
– Workers
– Ordinary citizens

Not ISIS. Not foreign agents. Iranians who are done with tyranny.

But the regime needs a scapegoat to justify the slaughter.

Faces of the Massacre: Others Like Erfan

Erfan Soltani is one name the world knows because his case got international attention.

But there are thousands more:

The Unnamed Dead

The student shot in Tehran for chanting “Woman, Life, Freedom”
The father killed in Dezful trying to protect his daughter from security forces
The teenager executed in Isfahan for throwing rocks
The mother beaten to death in Mashhad for not wearing hijab properly
The elderly man shot in Zahedan for filming the violence

Most will never have their names recorded.

Mass graves don’t keep good records.

The Arrested Facing Execution

Iran Human Rights reports: “At least 648 protesters killed; warns of imminent protester executions.”

Translation: Hundreds more like Erfan are in custody, facing death sentences in kangaroo courts.

The Families Left Behind

For every protester killed:
– A mother grieves
– A father rages helplessly
– Children lose parents
– Siblings lose brothers and sisters
– Communities lose neighbors

The trauma will last generations.

The Biblical Perspective: God Sees

Psalm 10:14

“But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.”

God sees every Iranian killed in the streets.

He knows their names even when the regime buries them in unmarked graves. He hears their families’ cries even when the internet is shut down. He witnesses the injustice even when the world looks away.

Proverbs 6:16-17

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…”

The ayatollahs’ hands are dripping with innocent blood.

And God’s patience has limits.

Revelation 6:9-11

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?'”

Iranian believers are being killed alongside non-believers in these protests.

Their blood cries out to God.

And He will answer.

God’s Sovereignty Over This Massacre

God is absolutely sovereign over what’s happening in Iran.

Not one protester falls outside His decree. Not one bullet strikes outside His knowledge. Not one arrest happens outside His permissive will.

Does this mean God wanted this massacre? No.

Does it mean He’s using it for His purposes? Yes.

How is God Using This?

1. Exposing the regime’s evil
The world is watching the Islamic Republic massacre its own people. No one can pretend anymore that this is a legitimate government. It’s a terrorist regime.

2. Hardening the regime for judgment
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened through cycles of judgment (Exodus 7-12). The ayatollahs are hardening themselves with every protester they kill.

3. Driving Iranians to Christ
When Islam shows its true face—brutal, oppressive, murderous—Iranians question everything. Many are finding Jesus.

The underground church is growing fastest in the cities with the worst violence.

4. Preparing Iran for prophetic fulfillment
Jeremiah 49:37-39 prophesies God will scatter Elam (Iran), then restore them “in the latter days.”

Could this massacre be part of the scattering before the restoration?

God Will Judge the Oppressors

“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)

Ayatollah Khamenei thinks he acts with impunity. The IRGC commanders think they can murder protesters without consequence.

They’re wrong.

God is keeping accounts. And when His patience runs out—and it will—His judgment will be thorough and terrible.

What Should Christians Do?

1. Pray Specifically

For Erfan Soltani:
– That his sentence is overturned
– That he is released
– That he encounters Christ in prison
– That his testimony impacts other prisoners

For the families of the killed:
– Comfort in unbearable grief
– Provision for widows and orphans
– Protection from regime retaliation
– Gospel to reach them in their suffering

For the protesters:
– Courage to continue standing
– Protection from security forces
– Success in overthrowing the regime
– Hearts opened to the gospel

For the regime:
– Immediate fall from power
– Justice for their crimes
– Conversion of individual ayatollahs and IRGC commanders (God can save even the worst)

For the underground church:
– Bold witness during this crisis
– Supernatural protection
– Explosive growth
– Resources to disciple new believers

2. Spread Awareness

The regime wants the world to forget. Don’t let that happen.

Share Erfan’s story
Post about the massacre on social media
Contact legislators
Support human rights organizations documenting the killings

“Don’t stop talking about the Iran massacre!”

3. Support Iranian Ministries

Transform Iran: Broadcasting gospel into Iran
Mohabat TV: Christian programming for Persian speakers
International Christian Concern: Advocating for persecuted believers
Voice of the Martyrs: Supporting families of imprisoned Christians

4. Examine Your Own Courage

Erfan Soltani knew he could be killed. He protested anyway.

Iranian women burn hijabs knowing they could be arrested. They do it anyway.

Underground church members share the gospel knowing it’s a capital offense. They do it anyway.

What are you willing to risk for truth?

Erfan’s Story Isn’t Over

As of January 18, 2026, Erfan Soltani is alive.

Held in Karaj Central Penitentiary. Family unable to see him. Charges uncertain. Future unclear.

But alive.

And as long as he’s alive, there’s hope.

Hope that international pressure forces his release.
Hope that he survives this ordeal.
Hope that God uses his suffering for purposes we can’t yet see.

But even if Erfan is executed—even if he joins the 12,000+ already killed—his story won’t end there.

Because there is a resurrection coming.

There is a judgment coming.

There is a day when the oppressed will be vindicated and the oppressors will be judged.

There is a day when every tear will be wiped away, when every wrong will be made right, when the Lion of Judah will roar and the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God.

And on that day, Erfan Soltani and every other Iranian killed for standing against tyranny will receive their reward.

The God Who Remembers Names

The world may forget Erfan Soltani’s name. The media may move on to the next story. Even the Iranian regime may erase his records.

But God remembers.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31)

If God numbers the hairs on your head, He knows Erfan Soltani.

He knows the 12,000+ killed in January 2026.

He knows the 2.4 million Iranians killed by the regime since 1979.

He knows them all by name.

And He will call them all to account—both the victims to be rewarded, and the perpetrators to be judged.

Prayer

Father,

We bring Erfan Soltani before you. You know him. You see him in that prison cell. You know what he’s enduring.

We pray:
– Protect him from execution
– Give him courage
– Bring him to faith in Your Son
– Use his story to shake the world

We bring the 12,000+ killed before you:
– Comfort their families
– Avenge their blood
– Let their deaths not be in vain

We bring the ayatollahs before you:
– End their reign of terror
– Bring them to justice
– Save those who will repent
– Judge those who won’t

We bring the Iranian people before you:
– Free them from tyranny
– Open their eyes to the gospel
– Raise up the underground church
– Fulfill Your promise to restore Elam

Do what only You can do. Remember Erfan. Remember the thousands. Remember Iran.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sources

Erfan Soltani Case

2026 Iran Massacre

Theological Foundation

God sees the afflicted (Psalm 10:14) – Savage Mercies Library
God’s sovereignty over suffering (Romans 8:28) – Savage Mercies Library

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