Washington, DC – The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urges the Trump administration to demand accountability for Iran’s religious freedom violations in any upcoming discussions planned in Oman. Iran’s egregious persecution of religious minorities has caused hundreds of people to flee the country seeking humanitarian protection based on religious persecution. If sent back to Iran, these individuals face grave danger to their personal safety for exercising their right of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including for changing their religion or belief.
“Iranians who dissent from the government’s endorsed religious interpretation —particularly converts from Islam—face severe government persecution for both their religious beliefs and for exercising their freedom to change these beliefs,” said USCIRF Chair Stephen Scheck. “The Trump administration must demand Iranian concessions on its systematic targeting of religious minorities, including those at risk of being repatriated, during upcoming talks in Oman.”
Among those at risk are several persecuted Iranian Christian converts who fled to the United States in February and are now in Panama. While the government of Panama granted them a 30-day temporary permit to remain in the country with the option for a 90-day extension, these individuals may be forcibly returned to Iran, where they are likely to experience persecution, harassment, torture, and prolonged imprisonment. USCIRF has noted previously that Article 33 of the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol prohibits refoulement, which is the returning of a refugee to a country where he or she faces serious threats to his or her life or freedom based on religion or one of the other four listed grounds.
“Ensuring that religiously persecuted Iranians are protected from the horrors awaiting them if refouled to Iran sends a clear signal that the U.S. government prioritizes freedom of religion or belief,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Meir Soloveichik. “The U.S. Congress should also permanently reauthorize the Lautenberg Amendment, which aids persecuted religious minorities from Iran seeking protection in the United States.”
In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Iran as a “Country of Particular Concern,” or CPC, country for engaging in systematic, egregious, and ongoing violations of religious freedom. USCIRF has also recommended that Congress permanently authorize the Lautenberg-Specter program for resettling Iranian religious refugees.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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