(MNN) — In a shocking turn of events, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated on Wednesday in Iran’s capital city, Tehran.

It was initially believed that Haniyeh was killed in a targeted airstrike. However, a new report from The New York Times says a bomb was smuggled months in advance into the Tehran guesthouse where Haniyeh was often known to stay.

The assassination has sparked outrage and promises of retaliation from Iran, which has vowed revenge against Israel — although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack.

This latest development has heightened concerns about the potential for escalating regional tensions, with fears that surrounding countries could be drawn into a broader conflict.

Tehran, Iran (Photo courtesy of Khashayar Kouchpeydeh/Unsplash)

Joe Willey with SAT-7 USA explains, “In the Middle East and North Africa, there are countries the size of our states and they are bordering each other. So perhaps listeners could imagine on the East Coast where states tend to be smaller. It would be like saying, ‘Why can’t Delaware and Pennsylvania just have a conflict without spilling into other states that surround it?’ So there is the idea of just the proximity; just the size.”

Many Iranians are dissatisfied with the direction of the country and, by extension, Islam.

“Without the hope of Christ, without the Gospel, without people’s lives being transformed by forgiveness, by what Scripture teaches a Christian to do, there is truly continual strife,” says Willey.

What they need is the Gospel. SAT-7 PARS broadcasts satellite television to Persian speakers in Iran. Willey says their programming “uses biblical reasoning, biblical principles, and Scripture to provide answers to what we will call these existential questions.”

Pray for Iranians to seek Jesus. Amidst growing conflict and uncertainty, ask God to use SAT-7’s broadcasts to connect with people in Iran who need biblical hope.

“Ultimately, SAT-7 says it’s not just about now,” Willey explains. “It’s about eternity.”

Header photo of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: http://council.gov.ru/events/multimedia/photo/202324/)