“Completely and totally obliterated.” This is how United States President Donald Trump described Iran’s nuclear program after bombing its nuclear sites in June. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “It’s very simple—you don’t have to go too deep into it. They just can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

Six months later, Iran has salvaged its “completely and totally obliterated” nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, much of the world hasn’t noticed.

Where’s the Uranium?

Before the 12-day war, Iran had approximately 900 pounds of uranium near weapons-grade enrichment. That uranium was a short, technical step away from being weaponized. We don’t know exactly what happened to it, but several reports indicate it was moved shortly before Iran’s facilities were struck.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) has not been allowed to examine Fordow, Natanz or Isfahan, but it has access to satellite imagery of the three sites. iaea Director General Rafael Grossi told the Financial Times on November 5 that “most, if not all the uranium enriched at 60 percent—but also at 20, at 5 and at 2 percent—is there.” A few days before, he said the iaea had seen movement around the stockpile’s storage areas, indicating Iran could be trying to dig up its old stockpiles and move them.

To make a bomb, Iran needs to enrich the uranium further. With Fordow and Natanz bombed, can it do that?

Pickaxe Mountain

Iran has another enrichment site unimpacted by the June strikes: Pickaxe Mountain. Just a mile south of Natanz, Pickaxe Mountain was set up after a fire damaged Natanz in 2020. Today, the site’s facilities are likely even deeper than Fordow’s. The mountainous terrain makes it a hard target even for America’s bunker busters.

Iran has yet to publicize what it is doing in Pickaxe Mountain. Grossi said in April: “Since it is obvious it is in a place where numerous and important activities related to the [nuclear] program are taking place, we’re asking them, ‘What is this for?’ And they are telling us, ‘It’s none of your business.’”

Sometime between June and September, Iran built a new security perimeter and expanded the underground entrances, according to analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

When confronted with the satellite imagery, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed the images were insufficient to detail what was going on and called for the iaea to verify the site’s function—while also banning the iaea from doing so.

Iran’s nuclear program at Pickaxe Mountain could be far more advanced than what Iran could accomplish at Fordow or Natanz.

Delivery System

It’s one thing to have enough uranium and the ability to enrich it to build a bomb; it’s useless without a delivery system. Iran has also made progress in developing those delivery systems.

The United Kingdom, France and Germany triggered international sanctions on Iran’s arms trade in September. Despite this, Iran has been able to build up its ballistic missile program through a powerful backer: China.

Citing “European intelligence sources,” cnn reported October 30 that China had exported “several shipments of sodium perchlorate,” the main component for Iran’s main type of missile fuel. These shipments include 2,000 tons of the material. Analyst Jeffrey Lewis with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies told cnn those levels of sodium perchlorate would be enough for 500 missiles.

Iran’s Nuclear Future

Iran has tried to get a nuclear bomb for decades. Each time an outside actor, such as Israel, has stopped it, Iran restarts the process.

The regime’s particular version of Islam mandates that it create chaos to accelerate the return of its messiah. Its two sworn enemies, the United States and Israel, are nuclear powers. If a regime like Iran’s, the world’s number one sponsor of Islamic terrorism, were to obtain nuclear weapons, the risk for all-out nuclear war would multiply.

The Trumpet expects Iran to start such a war based on a prophecy in the book of Daniel. “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” (Daniel 11:40).

This verse describes two end-time power blocs: “the king of the north” and “the king of the south.” Biblical and secular history identify the king of the north as a Catholic European power. (Request a free copy of our booklet History and Prophecy of the Middle East for more information.) The other bloc is a pushy, provocative power to the south of Europe. Verse 41 shows the fight between the two is principally over the “glorious land,” or the Holy Land. Verses 42-43 indicate the king of the south commands a proxy empire throughout the Middle East. Using these verses as a guide, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has pointed to Iran as the king of the south (see our relevant Trends article for more information).

The prophecy leads into Daniel 12:1: “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” The unparalleled worldwide catastrophe described here correlates with Jesus Christ’s prophecy in Matthew 24:21-22: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [“not a soul would be saved alive,” Moffatt translation]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Mankind was not able to destroy itself completely until the invention of weapons of mass destruction. This prophecy is speaking of modern nuclear war. According to Daniel 11, it all starts with a provocative attack from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“Iran is extremely radical—the king over radical Islam,” Mr. Flurry writes in his booklet The King of the South. “To war! Just as it has in the past. It is leading inevitably to terrifying war with weapons of mass destruction. It can lead nowhere else. Iran is preparing itself to trigger a nuclear World War iii!”

Saying Iran’s nuclear capabilities were “completely and totally obliterated” is misleading at best. Iran has the capabilities to regroup, resume its enrichment, and build a nuclear bomb. The Trumpet expects Iran to reach that milestone soon—and shake the world.

The vast majority of the world is ignorant of these developments. But you don’t have to be. As prophecies in Daniel, Matthew and elsewhere detail, God promises to protect those who trust Him. But the window to turn to God and claim His promises has a cut-off point (Luke 21:36).

To learn more, request a free copy of The King of the South.