Shalom from Galilee where we are experiencing a heat wave in a very disappointing winter! March has come upon us, and, although the seasons are changing in less than three weeks, it doesn’t appear that the world is quite ready for spring which is supposed to bring joy and new life. The bad guys keep doing their bad things. Accidents and natural disasters are taking thousands of lives. Division within nations and rampant immorality are changing the internal landscapes of many nations.
But we are a people who have hope, aren’t we? No matter what is happening or is on the horizon, our faith is in the God who is in control. So, for every minute you spend looking around, spend another minute looking up. That’s the kind of balance that is guaranteed to give you joy no matter the circumstances. How’s that for a little ray of sunshine?
As I look at what could be coming in the near future, there are two major events to be watching for. First, there is a strong indication that there could be strong follow-up seismic activity in Turkey in the coming days. Many buildings are already weakened, and another shallow quake can bring even greater devastation to an already devastated area.
The second event has to do with Iran’s nuclear arsenal. The IAEA has admitted to finding 83.7% enriched uranium. For months, I’ve been telling you that this exists and at even higher levels. Tehran says that “unintended fluctuations in the level of enrichment [which] may have occurred” are the reasons for the IAEA’s findings, causing anyone who knows anything about Iran’s nuclear program to spit their beverage of choice out of their nose.
But what is changing now is that it appears America is finally understanding the seriousness of the Iranian nuclear threat. In a statement from the Pentagon, the third ranking Defense Department official Colin Kahl said that if in 2018 “it would have taken Iran about 12 months to produce one bomb’s worth of fissile material. Now it would take about 12 days.” The question now is will this information move the US to support a major Israeli strike against Iran to quash this nuclear threat?
A Year of War in Ukraine
On Sunday, I gave a Middle East Update called “A Year of War in Ukraine”. While it was, in part, an overview of where the war is today and what led up to it, the update was also intended to clear up some of the division that is taking place within the church. I have found myself in the middle of this contentious divide with some saying, “Amir, you’re just totally against Russia”, while others ask, “Amir, why do you hate Ukraine?” I tell them, I am not against Russia or against Ukraine. I am against any country invading and killing over 100,000 innocent people. I am against torture and rape and wanton destruction. The possibility that a nation may contain some neo-Nazi groups or chemical labs is not a reason to target a civilian population. I believe that there is plenty wrong with the leadership of both countries. But it’s like my feelings about Iran, a country in which I love the people but I view their leadership with contempt. The same is true of my feelings about the great majority of the Russian and Ukrainian people. In this conflict there is one government that is the primary aggressor, and it is that government that I hold responsible for most of the bloodshed that is taking place. To hear a more detailed explanation, please watch the Middle East Update.
Poland Prepares for Possible Russian Attack
Fearing a Russian attack from the Kaliningrad exclave toward nearby Warsaw, Poland is strengthening its border crossings with the region. Tensions continue to build between Moscow and Warsaw, particularly now that Ukraine has received the first four Leopard tanks from Poland. The Polish government believes that if the Russians attack it likely would come from Kaliningrad, which is sandwiched between Poland, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea, and is the only region where the two opposing countries share a border.
Moscow Reports Ukrainian Saboteurs
Monday night saw a drone attack on a Russian airbase at Yeysk in Krasnodar Krai. Then, early the next morning, another drone attack reached within 60 miles of Moscow. Per standard practice, Ukraine did not take credit for either attack which caused little damage. Some officials in Russia claim that the Yeysk explosions were simply part of military drills. Then, today, drone and saboteur reports came from the villages of Sushany and Liubechane in the Klimovsky District. The attacks allegedly included a drone strike, the shelling of a vehicle, attacks on buildings, and the taking of hostages. Once again, Ukrainian authorities have not commented.
Flashpoint Warning: Russia Turns Its Eyes Toward Transnistria
The Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, a pro-Russian, unrecognized breakaway state from Moldova, could be the next Eastern European flashpoint. Commonly known as Transnistria, this narrow slice of land on Moldova’s eastern border with Ukraine has been a source of contention between Moscow and the West. Russia has warned Ukraine, Moldova, and NATO against attacking the region, saying it will protect its population and soldiers and will consider an attack on Transnistria as an attack on Russia itself. Meanwhile, many Moldovan citizens are already evacuating in anticipation of a Russian attack.
The 21st Century Axis Alliance
In what could be considered an Axis of Evil for the 21st Century, a meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Syria, and Turkey is in the works. The timing of the summit is still up in the air, but Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov said that the four nations are in discussions. All four of these countries have a part to play in God’s plan for the end times.
Explosions East of Karaj Activate Iranian Air Defense System
In Karaj, Iran, Thursday evening’s calm was broken by the sound of explosions and the activation of the air defense system. Witnesses report drones being fired upon, and the sound of ambulance sirens. A local news outlet was quick to claim that it was just an IRGC drill, but many on the ground say they saw something very different.
Iran Considers Supplying Syria with Missiles
Frustrated with Israel’s success in destroying their smuggled weapons, Iran is seriously considering supplying Syria with Khordad 15 air defense system surface-to-air missiles. This system has the capability of firing upon six targets at the same time at a distance of 75 to 120 km. At the same time they might supply Syria, they are asking Russia for S400 air defenses which would make an attack by Israel against their nuclear program more difficult.
Belligerence Increases from Iran’s Islamic Regime
A senior Iranian official reiterated the warning to Azerbaijan against allowing Israel to use their airspace to attack his country. This is an indicator that the Islamic regime is feeling like an Israeli strike against their nuclear program is near. Meanwhile, the IRGC Navy is increasing their attacks against commercial vessels threatening the freedom of navigation around the world. Said US Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the surge in attacks by Iran and their transportation of weapons “has the attention of everyone.”
A New Weaponry Trifecta for Tehran
In a television interview Friday, Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh, commander of the air and space forces of the IRGC, claimed that Iran has developed many new weapons recently. There were three that he highlighted. First, a hypersonic missile which flies outside the atmosphere at speeds reaching Mach 12-13 making it nearly impossible to be intercepted. Second, the Paveh cruise missile with a distance of 1650 km, which is more than enough range to reach Israel. Third, the Shahed 149 UAV. This drone has a range of 2000 km, can carry 9 bombs with a total weight of 500 kg, and has the capability of staying in the air for 35 hours and reaching an altitude of 34,000 feet. Oh yeah, and he said that Tehran still wants to assassinate Trump, Pompeo, and anyone else who was part of the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. How very IRGC-ish of him.
Iran’s Rial and Lebanon’s Lira Continue Their Plunges
It seems that the only thing that can drop faster than Iran’s hypersonic missile is their economy. While inflation is reaching upwards of 100% for basic food items, the currency has lost 20% of its value in the past six days crossing 600,000 rials to the US dollar. That’s 14 times lower than the official rate put out by the Central Bank of Iran. In Lebanon, the lira has reached 90,000 to the US dollar, dropping by 10,000 in less than two weeks.
Hezbollah Moneyman Arrested in Romania
A Lebanese/Belgian businessman, Mohammad Bazzi, was arrested in Romania Friday on charges of funneling millions of dollars to the terrorist group Hezbollah. The United States is now working on extraditing Bazzi and Lebanese citizen Talal Chahine to New York to face a federal court.
Another Jerusalem Embassy to Open as Netanyahu’s Coalition Stands Strong
Papua New Guinea is the latest in a series of nations that either have or plan to establish an embassy in Jerusalem. There are indicators that Fiji could soon follow. These are all good signs for Prime Minister Netanyahu, whose government coalition remains strong at 64 after two months in office.
Three Israelis Dead in Back-to-Back Terrorist Attacks
A terrorist attack Sunday in the West Bank town of Huwara left two brothers, Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaniv, 19, dead. Taking advantage of a traffic jam on Route 60, a Palestinian gunman fired from close range into the Israelis’ car, then fled on foot. In response to the outrage, Jewish settlers arrived at the scene and set fire to businesses and houses. One Palestinian was killed in the violence, while many others were in shock because the Jewish people aren’t supposed to take revenge. Very quickly, the Prime Minister, the president, and the defense minister called on Israeli citizens to not take the law into their own hands. This is very different from the Palestinian Authority who celebrate acts of terrorism and pay monthly stipends to the terrorists’ families. The day after this tragic attack, Elan Ganeles, a US citizen, was killed in another terrorist shooting near the West Bank city of Jericho. Multiple gunmen fired on three different vehicles in three different incidents. Ganeles was the only one who suffered significant injuries. He was in the country for just a short trip in order to attend a friend’s wedding.
US Government Determines Corona Virus is Chinese
After much investigation, the US Department of Energy has assessed that the Covid-19 virus most likely came from a lab leak in China. Also included in this classified intelligence report was their assessment that water is likely wet, the sky is likely blue, and the moon is likely not made of cheese. The Department of Interior later that same day revealed that the level of the world’s oceans dropped by two feet as mainstream media outlets sought to water down their coverage of the report.
