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Middle East

Egyptians protest against military rule: Protests have erupted once again in Egypt. Demonstrators are protesting against the ruling military council and the Interior Ministry for failing to provide security at a February 1 soccer match in the city of Port Said. Fans clashed after the match, which resulted in hundreds of injuries and 74 deaths. The event has become a flashpoint for the Egyptians’ ongoing outrage against the ruling military government. The soccer riot and resulting protests have intensified a continuing debate: How and when should the military relinquish control? The military is expected to transfer power to a civilian government by the end of June. That is when a new president will be voted in. The Muslim Brotherhood stands to gain the most from a democratic government. It has decided to wait out the process to avoid angering the military. Watch to see if the Muslim Brotherhood decides to put pressure on the military council for a speedier transfer of power.

More violence erupts in Syria: Syrian government forces barraged the city of Homs this week with heavy artillery, striking a hospital and other buildings. Homs is at the heart of the country’s anti-government uprising, and so far neither the protesters nor Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has backed down. The violence in Homs comes after Russia and China vetoed a United Nations resolution last weekend that would have condemned the Syrian government for its violent repression and called for a peaceful transition of power. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that Germany and its allies will continue to pressure President Assad. Western countries have been working to push the Syrian president out of office after a decade of autocratic rule, but Assad has received support from Iran, which views Syria as a key ally. The Trumpet has forecast that the unrest in Syria will eventually lead to a break in Iranian-Syrian relations. Also, watch for Germany to take on a more forceful role in Syria, and for U.S. influence to continue declining in the region.

Iran says new sanctions only strengthen its resolve: Iran dismissed new U.S. sanctions directed at it on Tuesday, insisting they would not only fail to halt the country’s nuclear program, but would make the Islamic Republic more determined than ever to attain its nuclear goals. “The actual results of these measures will be a stronger and more serious determination from our nation to achieve its great objectives,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast at a news conference. Washington ordered the new penalties on Monday, which give U.S. banks additional powers to freeze assets linked to the Iranian government and close loopholes that officials say Iran has used to move money despite earlier restrictions imposed by the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. and Europe want to deprive Iran of the oil income it needs to run its government and pay for its nuclear program. Mehmanparast’s comments indicate that Iran is becoming steadily more defiant toward the U.S. and Europe. Bible prophecy makes plain that this defiance will intensify until a German-led Europe takes decisive military action against Iran.