As expected, nothing of significance has come from the latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and the P4+1 countries (China, Russia, France, the UK, plus Germany). French President Emmanuel Macron summed up the talks with the word “unsuccessful”. Iran is as determined as ever to develop their own nuclear weapons arsenal.
The Israeli Mossad, however, made a statement Thursday saying that Iran would never achieve status as a nuclear nation. Mossad Chief David Barnea vowed, “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, not in the coming years, not ever, that’s my commitment, that’s the commitment of the Mossad.” The Mossad has backed up their words with action. In an article that is very much worth the read, Jake Wallis Simons of the New York Post detailed three actions carried out by the Israeli intelligence agency in just the last 18 months that have significantly slowed the progress of the Iranian nuclear program.
If you watched my Breaking News Update from Saturday, you will already know that it is very likely that the Mossad’s activity against the Iranian nuclear program continues. There was a major explosion at Iran’s Natanz nuclear site. Initially, Tehran said that an air defense projectile exploded during military tests. However, three key pieces of evidence threw skepticism upon their explanation. First, two nearby villages, Sojq-Abad and Ahmad-Abad, were evacuated. Second, locals reported a pungent odor in the air. Third, the regime shut down all internet services to prevent the spreading of information. On Sunday, it became clear what had actually taken place. At least five UAVs penetrated Iranian airspace and carried out an attack upon the Natanz nuclear facility.
Israel has not only been active against Iranian assets in Iran, but allegedly also in Syria. The Syrian state media claimed that Israel was responsible for an air attack on the commercial port in Latakia on Monday. The strike corresponds exactly to the port area where an Iranian cargo ship, Artbaz, recently unloaded its containers. The Israeli military, as usual, declined to comment.
If this was Israel’s doing, then it is good that they destroyed any weapons while still in port. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the militias they support, including Hezbollah, have been using hospitals as military headquarters and to store weapons. Once the weapons are stored in a hospital, they are safe from air attack.
Iran and Hezbollah are fighting back, but not in the way that one might expect. They are using propaganda to battle Israel and the United States, while coming to the aid of terrorist organizations like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The Islamic Radios and Televisions Union (IRTVU) reports to the Iranian Culture and Guidance Bureau and is a main channel for disseminating disinformation through the internet and social media. They are very effective in what they do, and in October 2020 earned sanctions from the US for trying to meddle in the elections.
Iran is not just attacking America with propaganda, but also with direct threats. In a speech last Thursday, the commander of the Al Quds Force of the IRGC, Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, told the United States, “Your teeth will be crushed in your mouth.” He continued, “We are telling the Americans you have still time to leave the region in humiliation, or you will be expelled in a manner worse than in Afghanistan.” Sadly, these words are part of the continued fall-out of the horribly performed withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan.
As I mentioned in the introduction, Russian soldiers are amassing on the border with Ukraine. United States intelligence has concluded that the 175,000 troops are a pretty good indicator that Russian President Vladimir Putin has it in his mind to launch a military offensive. The UK agrees, putting British special forces on alert to be deployed to Ukraine at the first sign of provocation. This is a situation that needs much prayer from the church.
While all eyes are on Iran and Ukraine, China is quietly looking to install their first military base on Africa’s Atlantic Coast in Equatorial Guinea. Having China on the opposite side of the Atlantic raises serious security concerns for the US, and it is another step in the nation’s slow spread of influence over the African continent.
