Iranian Parliament Wishes Christians Killed by US-Israel Bombing: May Peace Be in the Arms of Jesus

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, prayed for Hovhannes Simonyan, the first Iranian Christian civilian killed by a US and Israeli air strike.

Qalibaf said the funeral procession was held at the Church of Santa Maria in New Julfa last week.

"He fell as a martyr in the brutal bombing of civilians in Isfahan by Israeli war criminals," said Qalibaf, followed by the upload of a number of photos of the funeral procession in his X pridadi account, @mb_ghalibaf, April 5 local time.

2/On this #Easter day, I ask you to pray for the repose of the soul of Martyr Hovhannes Simonyan.

May his noble soul rest in eternal peace in the loving embrace of Jesus Christ.

"Pengorbanannya berdiri sebagai bukti persatuan semua orang Iran dalam membela tanah air kita.

— Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 5, 2026

Still in the Easter holiday, Qalibaf also invited Iranians to pray for Iranian Christians who died as a result of the US-Israel dropping bunker buster bombs on the city of Isfahan.

"On this Easter day, I ask you to pray for the soul of the martyr Hovhannes Simonyan. May his soul rest in eternal peace in the embrace of the love of Jesus Christ," said Qalibaf.

A 907 kg bunker buster bomb was dropped by the US-Israel on the city of Isfahan in the early hours of Tuesday, March 31. Reuters reported a huge explosion in the city of 2.3 million people.

"His sacrifice is a proof of the unity of all Iranians in defending our homeland," Qalibaf said.