On February 28, Sona Kazanjian and hundreds of other attendees were gathered at a hotel in the United Arab Emirates for Movement Day Dubai, an annual conference that brings together believers and Christian leaders from across the Middle East. 

At around 8 am that morning, the US and Israel carried out a joint attack on Tehran, igniting a war that would soon consume most of the Middle East. 

News of the attack broke just as the conference began. At first, the event continued normally. But then attendees started to hear missile interceptions, so the organizers ended the program an hour early. 

“We are not used to this in Dubai since it’s considered one of the safest cities”, said Kazanjian, Middle East Coordinator of Movement Day.  

The UAE was not the only country caught up in the conflict. Over the coming days, much of the rest of the Middle East found itself under fire. Overnight, countries once seen as relatively safe in a volatile region became active war zones. 

Since late February, most of our articles, videos, and social media posts have pertained to the war in Lebanon, which has been, in many ways, a second front in the regional conflict. As a Christian Lebanese NGO, our war response efforts have largely focused on responding to the needs here. But we are not the only ones impacted by this regional war. Our partners across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have also found themselves in harm’s way.  

A delicate ceasefire between the US, Israel, and Iran has brought relative calm to most of the region, but the issues that ignited the war remain unresolved, threatening to upend ongoing peace talks. Meanwhile, here in Lebanon, fighting continues in the country’s south despite a separate ceasefire agreement and a parallel track of negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials. 

Though we continue to face challenges at home, we wanted to write this article to shed light on the stories of our partners and churches in the region and how they’ve been impacted by hostilities these past few months. In doing so, we hope to better inform our friends and partners about what is happening in the Middle East and how you can be praying for our region. 

Gulf states come under fire 

As the war quickly escalated on February 28, airlines canceled flights, leaving Movement Day attendees stranded in Dubai. Though the Emirati government provided them free hotel rooms, they faced a precarious situation as they waited for airspaces to reopen. 

That night, air raid sirens erupted. Everyone went down to the hotel lobby, where it was safer, and began to pray and worship. 

“You hear the noise, but you feel at peace. It’s a very strange mix of feelings,” Kazanjian said. “This continued throughout the war.” 

Over the following weeks, Iran attacked Gulf states, including the UAE and Bahrain. Claiming that it was striking US military interests, Iran targeted residential and commercial sites, as well as critical infrastructure like seaports and airports. While Gulf states intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles, they refrained from launching attacks on Iran, wary of becoming more deeply entangled in the conflict. The attacks killed and wounded dozens of people across the Gulf. 

Despite the conflict, daily life in Dubai continued almost normally. While schools shifted to online learning, malls and restaurants stayed open as the government sought to reassure the population. Churches continued to hold regular services while hosting online prayer meetings to pray for the UAE and the region. They also supported people impacted by the war, including those working in the service industry who lost their jobs. The only major disruption came during Easter, when the government directed churches to cancel public services “in the interest of safety and community well-being.” 

To encourage members, church leaders preached on Jesus’ words in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” and Paul’s writings in Philippians 4:7, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” Believers also turned to Psalm 121, which reminds God’s people that their help comes from the Lord. 

Similar scenes unfolded in Bahrain, which like the UAE, is a small Gulf country that has long enjoyed relative stability in the Middle East. Throughout the conflict, however, it found itself under intense fire. 

“The amount of times (Bahrain) has been struck is too heavy compared to its small size,” said Saad*, the leader of a Bahraini church. 

Due to a government ban on public gatherings to protect the safety of civilians, churches shifted to online services. Still, they remained active in their communities with online prayer meetings and outreach programs. 

The war impacted workers, especially those reliant on daily wages. To help meet their needs, the church provided them with daily necessities.  

“It’s crucial that the church serves people and reaches the needy and proclaims the name of God everywhere,” Saad said. 

Close calls in Iraq 

North of the Gulf, Iraq found itself under fire from all sides. The US carried out attacks on armed groups backed by Iran while Tehran and its allies fired missiles and drones at American military bases. The war dealt a heavy blow to Iraq’s economy, which is heavily reliant on oil exports through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. 

In Baghdad, a Thimar church-partner long acquainted with violence endured another chapter of challenges and dangers. Multiple airstrikes hit near the church, including a drone that crashed into a restaurant about 500 meters away, said Pastor Ara Badalian. One airstrike hit just two streets away from the home of a family in the church. 

These dangers led the church to scale back its services, including Easter celebrations. However, it stayed active in other ways. On social media, it posted messages promoting peace. As Easter and Ramadan holidays coincided, the church also engaged in outreach programs with members of the community. 

“The church is a witness of Christ,” said Badalian, who is also a graduate of Thimar’s Arab Baptist Theological Seminary (ABTS). “This is an opportunity for the church to play a more influential role amidst the turmoil happening now.” 

Tensions and violence persist 

On Monday, May 4, a wave of violence erupted in the Persian/Arabian Gulf. The UAE said Iran attacked its territory and an oil vessel with drones and missiles. Neighboring Oman also came under fire, although its government refrained from attributing blame for the attack. Meanwhile, the US military said it sank several Iranian military ships. 

Such attacks have put further strain on the US-Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement, which has already been severely tested by stalled negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Nearly one month into the agreement, it remains unclear if the ceasefire will hold for much longer. 

In this uncertainty, churches in the region continue to pray for peace. 

“The whole region is one package,” Badalian said. “We pray that the current ceasefire continues.” 

While the future is unclear, churches and believers find assurance in the knowledge that God is sovereign over everything that happens. 

“These difficult times are a precious opportunity to return to God, to find peace in Him, and to put our trust in Him again,” Kazanjian said. 

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For more than 25 years, Thimar has walked alongside local churches across the Middle East as they share the gospel and support their communities. If you would like to join us in empowering the local church in the region, consider donating.