A foundational verse for Christian supporters of Israel and the Jewish people is Genesis 12:3. God says to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you.” If you question whether that verse is about blessing Israel, I would point out that it was a promise directed to the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who God renamed Israel. It is speaking of both the nation and the children of Israel.

History decisively attests to the cursing described in Genesis 12:3. We can see this plainly through a cursory glance at the last approximately 3,500 years of world history—Pharaoh in Egypt, the Philistines, the Amalekites, the Jebusites, all the Canaanite tribes, the Assyrians, Haman of the Persian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, the Greeks, the Romans, and eventually the Ottomans and the Nazis. What do all those far-flung individuals, empires, and nations have in common? All of them, at one time or another, came against Israel and the Jewish people—and all of them were utterly defeated.

Israel has outlasted all of their enemies, against all odds, continuing not only to survive, but to thrive. This is not a coincidence; this is a promise-keeping God who has made eternal covenants with the nation of Israel.

Which brings me to today and what we will call the “Genesis 12:3 effect.”

I bring you the Iranian regime and its ring of fire.

Since the October 7th massacre carried out by the Iranian proxy Hamas, their terror network is in dire straits. Hamas and Hezbollah, in particular, have been severely diminished. The Houthis are licking their wounds now in Yemen. Assad in Syria is gone. The Shia militias in Iraq have been quiet. All of Israel’s enemies have essentially been smashed. The Iranian ring of fire is a smoldering heap of ruins.

That wasn’t the end ot it. During the 12 Day War, Israel inflicted significant damage, pounding ballistic missile stockpiles and launchers, and eliminating dozens of top Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. President Trump got involved, making the bold decision to send those “beautiful B-2 bombers” to “take care of business” and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Egg was on the face of Tehran. All that bluster and threats for 46 years, and at the end of the day, the Iranian regime proved to be a paper tiger—embarrassingly exposed for all the world to see. The Iranian regime was clearly outmatched in a massive demonstration of Israeli and American military might.

You might expect that afterward Iran would keep their mouth shut for a while, be wise, and just lay low—but no. Despite the heavy blows over the past two years, none of these anti-semitic and demonically driven bad actors repented. Since the 12 Day War, Iran has become even more arrogant and boastful, levying constant threats against Israel and America.

Evil is relentless until it is utterly crushed. Evil also eventually invites judgment.

You could say that the collapse of Iran’s ring of fire—its proxy network—is one form of judgment. You could also say that the 12-Day War was another form of judgment for coming against Israel and the Jewish people so viciously for 46 years.

However, massive military setbacks were only a portion of Iran’s woes. Since then, rolling blackouts caused by severe electricity shortages and a drought of biblical proportions have been plaguing the land.

According to the Jerusalem Post, water levels in Iran’s capital city, home to over 10 million people, have fallen by 43%. Additionally, the main dam is at only 8% capacity. It is Iran’s worst water crisis in decades. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says that if Iran does not receive rainfall by November 30th, it will have to start water rationing in the capital city. Not only that, they are also going to have to evacuate Tehran because it will be “uninhabitable.”

Is the timing a coincidence? What do you think? I think we see the Genesis 12:3 effect at work here. No doubt. Anti-semitism leads to ruin.

A 40% drop in rainfall over recent months since the 12-day war, coupled with decades of mismanagement, including the overbuilding of dams, illegal well drilling, and inefficient agricultural practices, has depleted Iran’s water reserves. The Iranian leaders have brought this upon themselves.

The crisis, the Jerusalem Post says, extends far beyond Tehran. Nationwide, 19 major dams throughout Iran—roughly 10%—have completely run dry. In Iran’s second-largest city, with a population of 4 million, water reserves have plunged below 3%.

They have had rolling blackouts, power outages, record-breaking temperatures in July and August, and now catastrophic drought.

I think God gave this regime a chance: “Are you going to change your ways now? Do I have your attention? It’s been 46 years of wickedness. Now you’ve been thumped. Your nuclear facilities—your crown jewel—have been destroyed. Your ballistic missile—your second crown jewel—has been largely taken out. Your ring of fire that you so faithfully built for decades has been smashed. Now, will you get the memo and change your ways?”

What was the response? They shook their fist, as they always have, at the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They doubled, if not quadrupled down. The Iranian regime focused on rearming. Then, right at that time in early July, the drought started, record-breaking temperatures hit, and the rolling blackouts became intolerable.

Pray for the people of Iran. A poll showed that after the 12-day war, roughly 80% of the Iranian people detest this regime. The main victims of the Iranian regime are the Iranian people. They have been under the jackboot of the Ayatollas—this modern-day Nazi death cult—for 46 years.

Prior to the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Iran was a friend and ally of Israel and the United States.

The Iranian people are a great people. Right now, Iran is home to the fastest-growing underground church in the world.

History’s proven two things: you can’t destroy Israel and the Jewish people, like anti-semites today still want to do, and you can’t stop the gospel.

The underground church growth in Iran is amazing to see, and yet, the government of Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism, and its leadership is sadly bringing judgment upon that entire nation.

Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” That is what we are seeing right now in Iran.

People are dying and suffering, and the regime ruling over them is spending all their resources and time rebuilding more missiles so they can again attack Israel. It’s a demonic obsession, and Genesis 12:3 promises that ultimately they won’t get away unscathed.

Erick Stakelbeck is an author, analyst, and host of “The Watchman” newscast and “Stakelbeck Tonight.” Stakelbeck also serves as the Director of Christians United for Israel’s CUFI Watchman Project.