TEHRAN, IRAN (ANS) -- Iran’s Minister of Intelligence, Heydar Moslehi, says that house churches in his country are a threat to Iranian youth and has acknowledged a new series of efforts to fight the growth of the house church movement in Iran.

Mohabat News graphic shows entrance to an Iranian House Church and Iranian Intelligence Minister.

According to the Iranian Christian News Agency, Mohabat News www.mohabatnews.com , it seems that publication of articles about House Churches in Iran by regime-dependent media have finally motivated the Iranian authorities to stop the movement of people, especially the youth, towards Christianity.

Mohabat News says that in the past, some regime dependent media, in a coordinated plan to tarnish the image of Christianity and churches of Iran, began to distribute a series of falsehoods.

“For example,” says the news agency, “one of the regime dependent media warned of growth of Christianity in Iran by writing: ‘It seems that the cultural and publishing organs of the country need a coherent plan to confront the above named movements, especially the Christian evangelizing movement.’"

Mohabat News says that, “As we approach December and Christmas, which reminds us of a broad range of arrests and the crackdown by the Ministry of Intelligence on hundreds of our Christian brothers and sisters all around the country, Mullah Heydar Moslehi is sounding the alarm for Christians by saying: ‘The house churches are a threat to the youth and the Ministry of Intelligence has already started a serious effort to oppose this movement.’"

The news agency reports that on December 26, 2010 while churches all around the world were giving thanks, praying and celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ, security authorities of the Ministry of Intelligence of the Iranian Regime conducted an organized raid of house churches and homes of believers all around the country and arrested hundreds of Christian converts.

Mohabat News says that in a meeting held in a hall of the seminary of Feizieh, Heydar Moslehi urged seminaries leaders, teachers and students to "get involved in this field and guide the youth to the true way!"

The Minister of Intelligence also pointed again to the danger of Christian evangelism and added: "Evangelical Christianity has seriously harmed the Regime to varying degrees through 20 satellite TV channels, thousands of websites and tens of mission organizations. These activities show the West's great concern over the rapid growth of Shi'ite Islam throughout Europe and America."

In a gathering of Islamic clerics and seminary students in Faizieh seminary, Mullah Moslehi also mentioned New-age religions and mysticism as serious threats to the Islamic regime and stated that: "The footprints of this threat are observable in recent events and protests following the presidential election (of 2009)."

Mohabat News went on to say that Moslehi claimed in his speech that western countries are really concerned over the growth of Islam throughout Europe and America, and this issue is increasingly evident in the speeches of European and church authorities. Moslehi also said: "We need to watch their activities."

Also, the Minister of Intelligence voiced his concern in October over corrupt sects, Christendom and proselytization and named it as the "soft war" of arrogance.

Mohabat News concluded that it appears the intelligence organ of the Islamic republic's new wave of attacks to confront Iranian Christian converts will occur during the Christmas celebrations which are glorious and spiritual days for all Christians and especially for Iranian Christians.

It is also believed that these attacks are becoming more organized, the news agency said.

** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter