World powers are sailing toward a massive confrontation over the Red Sea, and the United Arab Emirates is forcing the issue. Geopolitical Futures wrote November 4:

Recent satellite analysis adds to the intrigue. On three small uninhabited Red Sea islets, monitoring agencies have detected the covert construction of runways capable of handling medium-sized cargo aircraft. No country has claimed responsibility for them, but experts believe the construction methods, materials, procurement routes and logistics all point to Emirati involvement. Moreover, the construction projects resemble known Emirati military projects in Eritrea, the island of Socotra and Libya.

The U.A.E. sponsors several militias in the Middle East and Africa, including the Rapid Support Forces, an anti-government militia operating mainly in western Sudan. This satellite analysis indicates that the U.A.E. is now adding pressure off the coast of eastern Sudan. Its goal is likely to further reduce Iran’s influence on the Sudanese government and the Red Sea.

Further east and across the water, Iran threatens Red Sea shipping through its Houthi terrorist proxy in Yemen. The Houthis have attacked Israeli and Western Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Hamas’s war on Israel. Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iranian proxy groups fighting Israel, the Houthis have gained strength over the past two years. According to UN data, the Houthis’ pool of fighters grew from 30,000 in 2015 to 350,000 by late 2024. Their control of ports, businesses and other assets in western Yemen provides them approximately $2 billion in annual revenue, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Daniel 11:40 prophesies of a radical Islamist bloc that pushes against Europe. An additional prophecy in Psalm 83 says Europe will have several important allies in the Middle East. Among them are “the Ishmaelites,” which includes Peninsular Arabs like the U.A.E. (Learn more about these prophecies here and here.)

Daniel 11:40 specifies that Iran-led Islam will “push” against German-led Europe—implying an unprovoked attack at a sensitive area. Gerald Flurry has pointed to the likelihood of Iran disrupting trade networks, especially oil imports, to Europe, as part of this push.

• During a time of ramped-up Houthi activity in the Red Sea, Mr. Flurry wrote in the May-June 2024 Trumpet: “Germany in particular is upset and angry over the economic loss caused by Iran. All its commercial ships have had to detour around South Africa. For this reason alone, this could become the big push of Daniel 11:40. We don’t know yet, but this certainly looks like it could fit that prophetic description in a spectacular way. We need to watch the situation closely.”

Bible prophecy shows that today’s relative calm in the Red Sea is a temporary lull. The U.A.E. sees Iran and the Houthis’ position, and it knows that this struggle will continue. It believes provocatively building covert air power assets directly in the Red Sea is worth the consequences because of what is at stake. Iran-aligned powers and Europe-aligned powers are sailing straight toward a clash over this crucial passageway.

Learn more by reading Mr. Flurry’s article “Is the Red Sea Crisis About to Fulfill Bible Prophecy?” To order a free subscription to the Philadelphia Trumpet newsmagazine, click here.