Iran showed no sign of accept­ing Don­ald Trump’s ulti­matum to open the Strait of Hor­muz by the end of yes­ter­day, while the US pres­id­ent threatened that “a whole civil­isa­tion will die tonight” unless Tehran reached a last-minute deal. Trump had given Iran until 8 pm Wash­ing­ton time yes­ter­day — 3.30 am today in Tehran (2 am today SA time) — to end its block­ade of Gulf oil, or he would des­troy every bridge and power plant in Iran. Iran says it would retali­ate against US allies in the Gulf, whose desert cit­ies would be unin­hab­it­able without power or water. As the clock ticked down on Trump’s dead­line, strikes on Iran intens­i­fied throughout the day, hit­ting rail­way and road bridges, an air­port and a pet­ro­chem­ical plant.

US forces attacked tar­gets on Kharg Island, home to Iran’s main oil export ter­minal. Iran respon­ded by declar­ing it would no longer hold back from hit­ting its Gulf neigh­bours’ infra­struc­ture, and claimed to have car­ried out fresh strikes on a ship in the Gulf and a huge Saudi pet­ro­chem­ical com­plex. “A whole civil­isa­tion will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to hap­pen, but it prob­ably will,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social web­site. “However, now that we have com­plete and total regime change, where dif­fer­ent, smarter and less rad­ic­al­ised minds pre­vail, maybe something revolu­tion­ar­ily won­der­ful can hap­pen, who knows? “We will find out tonight, one of the most import­ant moments in the long and com­plex his­tory of the world.” With hours left before the dead­line, a senior Ira­nian source said Tehran was main­tain­ing its refusal to reopen the strait without US con­ces­sions.

Pakistan, which has been the main go-between, was still relay­ing mes­sages, but Wash­ing­ton had not changed its tone, the source said. If the US car­ried out Trump’s threat to hit Iran’s power grid, Tehran would plunge Gulf states includ­ing Saudi Ara­bia into dark­ness, the source said. Earlier, another Ira­nian source said Tehran had rejec­ted a pro­posal con­veyed by inter­me­di­ar­ies for a tem­por­ary cease­fire.

 

The US-Iran war began on February 28, 2026, with the United States and Israel launching Operation Epic Fury, a series of airstrikes that targeted Iranian military sites and resulted in the deaths of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several IRGC officials.

 

 

 

As the April 7 deadline approached, US strikes intensified on Iranian targets. Trump warned of significant consequences if a deal wasn't reached, but later, a two-week conditional ceasefire was announced, dependent on Iran allowing safe passage through the strait. This situation underscored the US's desire to diminish Iran’s leverage over global energy and Iran's use of the blockade as a critical bargaining chip.
 

Prayer Guidelines

• For God to make wars cease and bring stillness to the region
  Sovereign Lord, we cry out to You who rules over the nations. Make wars cease to the ends of the earth in the Middle East — break the bow, shatter the spear, and burn the shields with fire. Cause leaders and people to be still and know that You are God, and be exalted among the nations. Bring a swift and lasting end to the conflict between Iran, Israel, the US, and all involved parties.
  “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” (Psalm 46:9-10)

​

• For the peace of Jerusalem and security for all who love her
  Father of mercies, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the entire Middle East. Let those who love Your holy city and the peoples of the region prosper and dwell in security. Replace violence and retaliation with true shalom, and protect innocent lives caught in the crossfire.
  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.’” (Psalm 122:6-7)

​

• For leaders to pursue peace and for the Prince of Peace to reign
  Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, grant wisdom and humility to all leaders involved in negotiations — including those from the US, Iran, Israel, and mediators like Pakistan. Turn hearts from hostility to reconciliation, so that swords may be beaten into plowshares and nations no longer train for war. May Your government of peace have no end in this troubled region.
  “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
  “He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)

​

• For protection and refuge for civilians and the persecuted
  God, our Refuge and Strength, be a very present help in trouble for every civilian suffering from strikes, displacement, loss, and fear across Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and the Gulf. Comfort the grieving, heal the wounded, and provide for those in need. Strengthen and protect believers and churches in the region as they witness Your love amid conflict.
  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
  “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

​

• For peacemakers to arise and for God’s justice and righteousness to bring lasting peace
  Blessed are the peacemakers, Lord Jesus. Raise up men and women of courage who will pursue peace and justice in the Middle East. Break cycles of hatred and retaliation; plant seeds of forgiveness, unity, and hope. Let righteousness and peace kiss each other, so that the fruit of Your Spirit — including peace — may flourish where violence has reigned.
  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:22)

Sample Prayer

Sovereign Lord, we come before You today crying out for the Middle East. You are the One who makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. Break the bow, shatter the spear, and burn the shields with fire in this region. Cause the conflict involving Iran, Israel, the United States, and all parties to come to a swift and lasting end. Let leaders and people be still and know that You are God, and be exalted among the nations.

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for true shalom across the entire Middle East. May those who love Your holy city and the peoples of this region prosper and dwell securely. Replace violence, retaliation, and fear with Your perfect peace.

Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace, grant divine wisdom, humility, and discernment to all leaders involved in the current ceasefire and negotiations — including those from the US, Iran, Israel, and the mediators. Turn their hearts from hostility toward genuine reconciliation. May swords be beaten into plowshares and nations no longer train for war, so that Your government of peace would increase in this troubled land.

God, our Refuge and Strength, be a very present help in trouble for every civilian suffering from strikes, displacement, loss of loved ones, and economic hardship in Iran, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, and the Gulf states. Comfort the grieving, heal the wounded, provide for those in need, and surround Your people with Your protection and peace.

Blessed are the peacemakers, Lord Jesus. Raise courageous men and women who will pursue justice and peace. Break every cycle of hatred and retaliation. Plant seeds of forgiveness, unity, and hope. Let Your righteousness and peace kiss each other, and may the fruit of Your Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness — flourish where violence has long reigned. We ask all this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, believing that You hear our prayers and can do far more than we can ask or imagine. Amen.

Listen to the prayer here

Today's Scripture Chest

 

---

More Resources on prayer for peace in the Middle East from 24-7prayer.com:

"This prayer guide has been created to help you pray for peace, an end to war, and for peaceful solutions to violent conflict. It can be used to intercede more sustainably and more focusedly, as an individual or in a group. The creative prayer activities can be used as prayer stations in a 24-7 Prayer Room or in a prayer meeting, church service, or classroom."

• Pray for Peace & an End to War (Topics)
  • Pray for People
  • Pray for the Problems
  • Pray for those in Power
  • Pray for the Principalities
  • Pray for the Church

​

• Prayer Activities: Pray for Peace & an End to War (Activities)
  • Peacemaker
  • Come Home
  • Leaders for Change
  • Hope Rope
  • The Shadow of the Almighty

 

---