Israeli secret service and an anti-terror unit made an arrest Monday morning that thwarted a major terror attack in Tel Aviv. The details of the event are being closely censored.
Monday night saw Israeli activity of a different kind. Surface-to-surface missiles were launched from the Golan Heights striking Iranian and Hezbollah targets near Damascus. Multiple Iranian-sponsored fighters were killed.
A new gas rig arrived in the Karish gas reservoir off the shores of northern Israel near territory that is in dispute with Lebanon. Despite Israeli foreign, defense, and energy ministers releasing a joint statement saying the rig would not be drilling in the disputed territory, Hezbollah still vows to not let the drilling commence. I have been saying for years that the catalyst for the Ezekiel 38-39 War will not be the Palestinian cause or land or religion. Instead, the fight will have financial roots when the enemies of Israel will come to plunder its spoils. For centuries, there was nothing to plunder. But now that Israel has become an energy and technology powerhouse, it is drawing like a magnet the attention of bad actor countries.
In a surprise to no one, the likely cause of death for Iranian scientist Ayoob Entezari has been changed from food poisoning to intentional poisoning. The senior scientist was involved in work at a R & D center developing missiles and drones. The assassination most likely took place at the home of a colleague who has since fled the country. Entezari’s is the fourth mysterious death in Iran over the course of two weeks. None of those killed were associated with the nuclear program. However, three of the four were connected to Iran’s burgeoning drone agenda.
In other Israeli spy-ish kind of news, last night there was a report of a UAV attack near the American base in Erbil, Iraq. There were a few injuries and some minor damage. However, later Shiite axis militias began claiming that the strike hit the “Mossad offices” in Erbil, resulting in the “commander of the Zionist assassination unit, Ilan Ron, being killed.” This is complete nonsense.
The IAEA says that Iran has not provided a sufficient explanation as to why there was nuclear material found at three different sites. Surmising the obvious answer that the material was there because Iran was illegally pursuing its nuclear weapons work, a protest was lodged by the US, France, Germany, and the UK. In response to the lodged protest, Iran shut down two more IAEA surveillance cameras at one of its facilities and later openly installed new and advanced centrifuges. Then, today, they announced to the IAEA that 27 more surveillance camerasin their nuclear sites, including in Natanz, have been disconnected. Meanwhile, German intelligence issued a statement that Iran has stepped up its efforts to acquire technology for its nuclear program, to which the rest of the world responded, “No, really?”
A very interesting diplomatic event took place this past week. With the US moderating, Israel agreed to a change of sovereignty of two islands in the Red Sea from Egyptian control to Saudi Arabian control. The Saudis want the land because it helps with the growth of the futuristic city of Neom that they are building. In exchange, Riyadh is opening its airspace to Israeli flights. Although this agreement focuses on commercial enterprises, it could lead to wider ramifications when it comes to potential air attacks by Israel on Iran’s nuclear program. At the same time that these negotiations were taking place, Israel has been preparing for a long-distance air attack, taking into account fueling, types of weapons, and parallel warfare strategies.
The economy of Turkey continues to nosedive. Inflation last month jumped from 70% in April to 73.5%, the highest rate of growth since 1998. This financial struggle could be one reason why they have acted in such a manor so that they have been named by Ukraine’s ambassador to Ankara, Vasyl Bodnar, as a buyer of grain stolen from Ukraine by Russia. In other Turkey news, the Turkish intelligence service is conducting a manhunt in conjunction with the Mossad after an IRGC assassination squad attempted to kill Israeli businessmen and tourists in the country.
Long range missiles landed in Kyiv on Monday for the first time in weeks. Russia said that it was targeting tanks supplied to the Ukrainian military by Eastern European countries. For up-to-date information about what is going on in the Russian/Ukrainian War and in other parts of the world, particularly the Middle East, please subscribe to my Telegram Channel.
China is nearing completion of its most advanced Type 003 aircraft carrier. It has been under construction since 2018 and is part of a modernization effort of the Chinese military particularly in the area of the heretofore underdeveloped navy. In Taiwan, citizens in many parts of the nation are taking self-defense courses in preparation for an eventual invasion by China.
On Sunday, North Korea test fired eight short range ballistic missiles into the sea. The next day, the US and South Korea responded by sending eight missiles of their own into the water, with the Americans firing one missile and the Koreans the other seven. Included with the show of force was a joint announcement from the two allies calling North Korea’s actions a “serious provocation”.
Finally, our prayers go out to the families of the more than 50 worshippers who were slaughtered in St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo, Nigeria. We also pray for healing for the dozens wounded by the gunfire.
Violence against Christians has been part of the nation for years. However, it has surged in recent months. May God’s peace, grace, and healing move in that town and in the nation.
