In the 3rd and 4th centuries large numbers of Christians lived in Persia - and given that the Roman Empire persecuted them, they were welcome. Rome and Persia had already been engaged in centuries of war and it would continue until the 7th century and the Islamic conquest. Persia was a haven for these Christian communities.
When Constantine changed course in the early 4th century and began to favour Christians - a process that would result in the legislation of Christianity before the end of the century under Theodosius, the Persian Shah looked askance at these alien religionists. Suddenly there was fear of a fifth column and Shapur II persecuted them mercilessly.
There never was any evidence of Christian collaboration with Rome - at least none that I know of. I hope that's the case today but I'm also afraid some misguided Iranian believers might feel compelled to work with or aid the American-Israeli alliance. If so, their punishment at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not persecution, but punitive measures taken in light political subversion and national security.
If these Christians are innocent of the charges, then one would hope Christians worldwide would rise up and denounce the equation made within the American Church between its identity and interests and that of the American state - and in particular when it is headed by GOP presidents like Trump. If there was no association, then the Tehran leadership would have no reason to fear these believers.
Of course the United States is not Christian. It never has been nor indeed can be, not without redefining the term Christian, which is precisely what has been done - despite all the warnings.
Now if these Christians were involved in spreading the gospel and bringing Bibles into Iran and are punished as a result - that's God-glorifying persecution. They may rightfully rejoice even as we weep alongside them. We pray for them and the global Church should aid them, but that testimony is destroyed if they or other Christians (particularly in America) call on the American state to intervene or threaten the use of violence. At that point the larger testimony is subverted and destroyed and once again will appear as political.
The Christians in Iran (and every other land) need to make it clear they are not allies of the American Empire - or any empire or state. Otherwise the regimes they live under will (with some justification) see their religious professions as tied to the bombing campaigns of the Pentagon - presently headed by a heretic but one that claims to be Christian and one who ties his leadership of the American war machine to his distorted and deformed understanding of Christ's Kingdom.
As far as 'hate speech' and questions of 'rights' - these are distractions from the issues at hand. As Christians we don't look for justice from the state and again, if their actions or motivations are political or perceived as such, the ayatollahs will certainly view them as subversive - as counter-revolutionary, as hating the state. Maybe it's not a state Christians would celebrate but neither was Neronic Rome and yet Paul was content and reminded the Church that the powers that be are ordained by God. And yet when Christians disobey the teachings of the apostles and take up the sword and mammon creed of Christendom, they must be denounced. We will submit to their laws but we will ever condemn them and warn the Church of their disobedience and functional apostasy.
See also:
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-iranian-collaborators-constantines.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-shapur-effect-in-pakistan.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2018/10/brunsons-testimony-negated.html
https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2013/04/worldwide-persecution-sacralism-and.html
https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2016/04/pakistan-imperial-blowback-and-shapur.html
https://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-fool-wang-yi-and-dark-side-of.html
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