An Iranian refugee, who vividly recalls being held at gunpoint during his childhood, is urging for hope, democracy, and prayers for Iran amid the U.S. and Israel’s focus on the country’s clerical leadership. His poignant message comes as international tensions heighten.

David Nasser, now a respected American pastor, shared his reflections with Fox News Digital just days after the initiation of Operation Epic Fury in Iran. This event has stirred up powerful memories from his past, particularly from when he was only 9 years old.

“As a young boy, my family was compelled to flee Iran in fear for our lives,” Nasser recounted. Currently serving as the President and CEO of David Nasser Outreach, he emphasized the dangerous circumstances that led to their escape.

Nasser’s father, a prominent officer in the Iranian military, became a target along with his family as the government disintegrated. “We were fortunate to find refuge in the United States, where we were granted political asylum,” Nasser explained, highlighting the stark reality they faced.

Recalling a pivotal moment from his childhood, Nasser described a school assembly on a military base where a soldier announced several names, including his own. “That was the moment I realized our lives would never be the same,” he said, underscoring the fear and uncertainty of that period.

Having left Iran at the tender age of 9 during the tumultuous 1979 revolution, David Nasser’s experiences continue to resonate with him today.

“When I got to the front, the soldier dropped a piece of paper, took a gun out of his holster and put it to my head and quoted the Quran. He told me that he was sent to make an example out of me,” Nasser added.

The principal intervened, but the message he relayed was unmistakable. Nasser recalled.

“They’re killing everybody who’s anybody. They’re trying to make an example out of people like our family, and they’re using fear,” he remembered hearing at the time.

“That’s one of my first memories of the revolution, but really just being completely scared for my life.”

Soon after, Nasser’s family devised an escape plan. They would pretend Nasser’s mother needed emergency heart surgery in Switzerland and buy round-trip tickets to avoid raising suspicion.

“We bought round-trip airline tickets like we were going and coming back, but we weren’t coming back. We were running for our lives,” he said.

David Nasser recalled a school assembly on a military base when a soldier called out his name and put a gun to his head.   (David Nasser)

At the airport, Nasser remembers gripping his father’s hand tightly and hearing words he will never forget.

“‘If they find out we’re escaping, they’re going to kill us right here on the spot,’ my father said as his hands shook, holding mine. The last time I was in Iran, I was a 9-year-old little boy running for my life,” he said.

Now, watching events unfold in Iran from the safety of the U.S., Nasser said his heart remains with millions of desperate Iranians facing uncertainty.

“We see them — I see them, I hear them. My heart is beating really fast for them right now with hope and with prayers for their protection and their provision,” Nasser said.

“Protection. I’m praying for protection for them. I want to be a part of the provision for them. If Iran transitions from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to help rebuild.”

Pastor David Nasser fled Iran as a child and urges hope during the U.S. military campaign in Iran. (David Nasser)

“If this moment actually comes, and they go from a theocracy to a democracy, I want to be a part of the solution — for that 9-year-old little boy that I once was. I want to do this for him.”

Beyond political change, Nasser, who is also teaching pastor at New Vision Baptist Church, said he takes solace in what he describes as spiritual transformation already underway, calling it “the fastest-growing church in the world right now or the underground church in Iran.”

“We know there’s at minimum 4 million, at maximum 8 million Christians right now in Iran,” he said.

“In Iran, if you convert from Islam to Christianity, that can be a death sentence. If they come into your home, and you’re gathering for Christian worship, they will take your home title, you will lose your home.

“They’re in prison. They’re being tortured. They’re being ridiculed. They’re being mocked.

“Above all, I came to America, and it was a land of opportunity. And I was given the gift of democracy. So, I would love to see democracy in Iran, where all the boys and girls are afforded what I was afforded when I managed to escape.”

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