By ICC Fellow Lisa Navarrette Christianity has existed in modern Iran for nearly 2,000 years. Long before the rise of Islam, Christian communities were already flourishing in the Persian Empire. Over centuries, these believers endured waves of suspicion, discrimination, and persecution. Yet despite political upheaval and government repression, Christianity has survived in Iran and continues today through both historic communities and a growing underground church. For supporters of persecuted Christians worldwide, Iran represents both a story of suffering and one of remarkable resilience. Christianity spread into Persia during the earliest centuries after the life of Jesus Christ.