OPINION:
Iran, without warning, aggressively launched over 300 ballistic missiles into Israel without provocation. After days of contemplation, Israel decided to retaliate against Iran‘s lethal aggression by striking key targets in the Isfahan region.
Competing reports are emerging about the extent of the damage caused by Israel‘s retaliatory strike on Iran. Iran‘s president vehemently denied any significant damage to their facilities and confidently refuted any claims by Israeli supporters or their allies.
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Hossein Dalirian, a spokesman for Iran’s National Centre of Cyberspace, said there was “no air attack from outside borders.” Dalirian went on to say Israel had “only made a failed and humiliating attempt to fly quadcopters [drones] and the quadcopters have also been shot down.”
We mustn’t disregard the escalating tensions between Israel, Iran, and the surrounding Islamic nations that aim to invade the holy land.
The Middle East, a region riddled with challenges and conflicts, involves key players such as Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. The historical tensions among these nations continue to shape the geopolitical landscape.
Iran‘s Nuclear Weaponization
Iran, a predominately Shia Muslim country, is the largest state sponsor and financer of Islamic terrorist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian terrorist organizations in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iraqi and Syrian fighters that seek to penetrate Israeli-protected borders and security posts and weaken the United States presence in that region of the world.
According to many experts, Robert Spencer, Amir Tsarfati, Joel Rosenberg, Randall Price, and others, Iran is working from their eschatological timetable to fulfill Islamic prophecy. Iran is driven by an apocalyptic genocidal ideology that finds its sustainability and retaliatory nature in the Quran. In their pursuit of nuclear capability, Iran seeks to destroy — to wipe out Israel off the map.
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According to a report posted on the State Department’s website, “Since the end of the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah conflict, Iran has supplied Hezbollah in Lebanon with thousands of rockets, missiles, and small arms in violation of UNSCR 1701. Israeli security officials and politicians expressed concerns that Iran was supplying Hezbollah with advanced weapons systems and technologies, as well as assisting the group in creating infrastructure that would permit it to indigenously produce rockets and missiles to threaten Israel from Lebanon and Syria. Iran has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Hezbollah and trained thousands of its fighters at camps in Iran. Hezbollah fighters have been used extensively in Syria to support the Assad regime.”
SEE ALSO: Reports: Israel used locally made Rampage missile to strike targets in Iran
Will Iran Respond?
Various groups in the Middle East that Iran supports have publicly expressed their backing for the Palestinian cause. These groups have launched attacks from multiple countries, including Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, causing concerns that the ongoing conflict in Gaza could potentially spiral into a more widespread regional war. The situation underscores the complex web of alliances and rivalries that exist in the volatile region and the potential for conflicts to spread beyond their original scope.
Days following Israel‘s strategic strike in the Isfahan region, several security sources have reported that drones and rockets have targeted U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria in two separate attacks.
However, Jonathan Lord, head of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, a U.S. think tank, said that it “seems to indicate that Iran is seeking to step down off the ledge, minimise the impact of the attack, and perhaps walk back down the escalation ladder from here.”
According to Scripture, a time will come when Iran, with the help of other nations, will attempt to destroy Israel. While Mr. Lord may hold a different perspective now, it is important to note the significance of this prophecy and its potential implications for the future.
Iran in Bible Prophecy
What is taking place between Israel and Iran is setting up a future battle that Ezekiel mentioned over 2,600 years ago.
According to Bible prophecy, Iran will be a part of a surprising attack; most bible scholars and prophecy experts refer to it as the “Russian-Islamic Invasion on Israel.”
“The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.” – Ezekiel 38:1-6
Prophecy expert and prolific author Dr. Mark Hitchcock brings some much-needed clarity to Persia, as mentioned by the prophet Ezekiel: “Verses five and six complete the allies that will attack Israel with their leader Gog. The identity of the first ally appears to be very clear since its ancient name is widely known down through history, even in our own day. Persia refers to the Persian people who make up a majority of the modern country of Iran. There is consensus among futurists that historic Persia clearly refers to modern Iran. The name Persia, which was written all over the pages of ancient history, was changed to Iran in foreign usage in March 1935.”
The alliance that has been forming for years between Russia and Muslim nations is undoubtedly setting the stage for the eventual fulfillment of the prophecy Ezekiel envisioned over 2,600 years ago.
Iran may not be currently planning another large-scale attack on Israel, but as we see in prophetic Scripture, the conflict between the two countries will only worsen in the future. Thus, we must take to heart the words Jesus warned in the Olivet Discourse, “So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near” (Luke 21:28).
We may not know everything that will happen or when it will take place, but we do know that God has a plan to protect and redeem His chosen people. In the meantime, it is our responsibility to pray for peace in the Middle East and to share the gospel of Christ with people in that region, regardless of whether they are Jewish or Muslim.
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Jason Jimenez is the founder and president of Stand Strong Ministries and is a respected Christian-worldview speaker, and faculty member at Summit Ministries. He is the best-selling author of “Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over the Church,” “Challenging Conversations: A Practical Guide to Discuss Controversial Topics in the Church,” and “Parenting Gen Z: Guiding Your Child through a Hostile Culture.”
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