“This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told zdf in an interview on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Canada on June 17. “This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world.”

Concerning Israel’s attack on Iran that began last Friday, Merz stated: “I can only say that I have the utmost respect for the Israeli Army for having the courage to do this, and for the Israeli leadership for having the courage to do this.”

If Israel hadn’t acted, Merz noted, “we might have seen months and years of continued terror from this regime, and then possibly with a nuclear weapon in its hands.”

He condemned the leadership in Tehran for bringing “death and destruction to the world, with attacks, murder and manslaughter, with Hezbollah, with Hamas.”

He added in an interview with ard: “We are dealing with a terrorist regime, both internally and externally. It would be good if this regime came to an end.” However, he left room for renewed negotiations, stating: “There is still an opportunity for the part of the government in Iran that is still capable of acting … to return to the negotiating table and hold talks. The offer stands. … And if it is not prepared to enter into talks, then Israel will go all the way.”

Chancellor Merz recognizes something few others want to admit: What happens in the Middle East directly affects Europe. His statements echo the words of former Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. After France, Britain and the United States launched air strikes against the Syrian government’s chemical weapons storage facilities in 2018, Guttenberg noted: “Of course, it is easy to say we leave the dirty work to others and draw back to the safe side. But in the long term, one won’t get around it that way.”

Israel’s war on Iran shows that Germany cannot stand idly by for much longer. Not only has Iran-sponsored terrorism killed dozens of European citizens and caused floods of refugees to storm European shores, it also threatens Europe’s economic prosperity.

One example is Iran’s threat to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil exports flow. German trade expert Gerrit Heinemann told Bild that the consequences would be “even more severe than what we experienced at the beginning of the Ukraine war and during the coronavirus years. A disaster.” Given that a significant portion of global trade passes through the region, Germany’s export-driven economy would be particularly vulnerable.

Another reason Germany will be unable to ignore the conflict is religion. For centuries, Europe has intervened in the region to defend Catholic interests, often leaving behind a legacy of violence and bloodshed. Iran, as the leader of radical Islam today, is again threatening the survival of Christendom in the region. It seeks the violent overthrow of Jerusalem, which would be fatal not only for the Jewish population but also for sacred Catholic sites.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has long warned that a combination of the above will likely define the prophesied push of Daniel 11:40. That prophecy reads: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”

Note that this passage describes a conflict at “the time of the end”—in fact, the entire book of Daniel has been written for this end time (Daniel 12:4, 9).

For decades, Mr. Flurry has pointed to Iran as the prophesied king of the south and Germany as the prophesied king of the north. Over the years, both countries have emerged as leaders in their respective regions, with Iranian foreign policy becoming increasingly aggressive while Germany has steadily expanded its economic and military strength.

The Bible says explicitly that these two powers are heading for a clash, marking the beginning of the end of the final chapter of the present evil world. Mr. Flurry explained these prophecies in detail in “The Hidden Danger in Germany’s ‘Alliance Against Iran.’”