The report, titled "Scapegoats" and released on Thursday, documents 254 arrests in 2025, nearly double the number recorded the previous year. The study was a collaborative effort by Article 18, Open Doors, Middle East Concern (MEC), and Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). Regional tensions fuel domestic raidsThe report describes the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025 as a "pivotal moment" for domestic targeting. Petrossian told Iran International that the state has moved to "choke the freedoms" of converts by framing their faith as an extension of foreign hostility. They say obscene and offensive things and insult and humiliate them," one convert testified in the report.

Source: The Times February 19, 2026 19:11 UTC