Takeaways From the Attack on Iran
Takeaways From the Attack on Iran
What a consequential weekend.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead—after leading Iran for nearly 37 years. So too are dozens of government officials, Revolutionary Guard leaders and nuclear program officials. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—dead.
In this morning’s brief, we’ll catch you up on several aspects of America and Israel’s attack on Iran over the weekend. Here are a few of my thoughts surveying the scene this Monday morning:
- Seeing Iranians rejoicing in the streets has been moving. Life under tyranny is a nightmare, and these people have lived that nightmare since 1979. The day is coming when all the world’s tyrants will be deposed. At that time, the celebrations won’t sprout up then die. They will go on and on. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
- The Trumpet has written for decades of the need to attack the Iranian “head of the snake” of terror. America and Israel just did it. These nations’ power is truly fierce when put to use. Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion struck over a thousand targets in the first 24 hours: senior leaders, government ministries, security headquarters, nuclear facilities, missile programs, military infrastructure, naval assets. Unbelievable. You get a sense of what could be accomplished if America were a blessed nation: Such an action would reshape the entire region and the world if God blessed and amplified and cemented it.
- That said, we’re about to see the limits of waging war from the air. As excited as the optimists are right now, Iran is a long way from regime change. After nearly five decades in power, the regime’s infrastructure is broad and deep. It will require far more than dropping bombs to destroy it. In fact, it will take “a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships”—a force that enters in and overflows, not just passes over. That won’t be led by America.
- A big reason: Americans have no stomach for war. As thrilled as Iranians may be, a Reuters-Ipsos poll after the Saturday strikes found that an overwhelming majority of Americans surveyed—3 in 4—disapprove of the strikes that killed Khamenei. About half, including a quarter of Republicans, say Trump is too willing to use military force. And this was after just a day of air strikes with almost no casualties. Any ground force or long-term, Iraq-style commitment in Iran is out of the question. As willing as Trump is to send jets, even he doesn’t want boots on the ground. I expect him to declare victory and withdraw as quickly as is plausible.
- It will be interesting to see who emerges to control Iran’s regime. It’s the Shiite clerics of the Assembly of Experts who will choose. I wouldn’t be surprised if the new supreme leader will be more willing to make tactical compromises than Khamenei, perhaps even feint at concessions that tamp down some of the anger on the Iranian street. But prophecy tells us the underlying radical agenda will remain.
The prophesied “king of the south” is radical Islam, and Iran will continue to lead the king of the south. Our articles below discuss these aspects of this extraordinary development. Keep watching the Trumpet for how this advances the fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Who Will Rule Iran Next?
With Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dead, what is next for Iran?
President Donald Trump appealed to the Iranian people to rise up, oust the regime, and install a democratic government. Will that happen? There are good reasons to be skeptical.
Geopolitical Futures founder George Friedman wrote:
Regime change is not easy. Destroying a government requires more than random assassinations; it requires the destruction of the physical infrastructure of how a government functions—office buildings, communications capabilities, computers that contain information on citizens, and so on. Decapitation and regime change require disabling the government from functioning and, at times, permitting chaos (dangerous if the public favored the government’s ideology and policies). A new version of the old government might emerge, as could a regime even more hostile to the U.S. and Israel. What the public in Iran feels about the government is not clear to me, but if Iranians are hostile to Israel and the U.S., then the logic of regime change means that a new government must be imposed. Put simply, decapitation may not end the threat without an ongoing presence.
That’s the key. Ensuring a U.S.-friendly regime may require boots on the ground—something that seems to have little support within the Trump administration or the American people.
Furthermore, the Iranian government is not your standard dictatorship. It is a theocracy.
Typically, the decisive moment in a revolution comes when the regime’s security forces refuse to kill civilians. In the summer of 1789, French soldiers refused to disperse anti-establishment protesters and even joined them in storming the Bastille. In March 1917, Russian soldiers revolted rather than shoot striking workers. In 1979, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fled the country rather than order troops to suppress protests.
Yet in Syria in March 2011, the Syrian Army did fire on protesters, and the regime stayed in power for nearly 14 more years.
- In a theocracy where members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps believe they are doing the will of Allah and fighting the forces of darkness, that moment when soldiers or their commanders refuse to murder innocent protesters and the regime begins to crack will not come easily. Iranian regime agents and troops have already killed tens of thousands of their own people. They’re unlikely to draw the line at a few more.
A Temporary Leadership Council has taken the authority of the former supreme leader. Under the Iranian constitution, a successor to Khamenei must be elected by a two-thirds majority in the Assembly of Experts, comprised of Shiite Muslim clerics. About half of these “experts” were chosen by Khamenei, so their choice of successor will be someone in the same mold.
Bottom line: Americans—not to mention Iranians—are up against much more than just Khamenei and a few top men. They are up against the whole system.
Some shifts in the regime are possible. With the nation at war, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps could seize power and become the dominant force in the country. Or Iran could follow in Venezuela’s footsteps, with someone in the current regime negotiating an end to U.S. attacks, being portrayed as a moderate, and giving the U.S. a chance to claim victory and walk away, allowing the regime to recover to fight and terrorize another day.
Our main story today states:
It is unclear exactly how this situation will play out. Often events take turns very different from what we expect. But biblical prophecy is clear about the outcome. As impressive as Israel’s accomplishments have been, and as much as one may wish to see the demise of this violent, oppressive regime, somehow Iran is going to preserve its considerable power—as well as its extremist temperament and aspirations. …
Prophecy also shows Iran will continue to attack Israel. … In the end, the Iran that emerges will be more than capable of embroiling the world in a devastating war. Iran will attack Europe with a violent and bloody push. Much violence and death is yet to come from this radical nation.
Watch for Iran’s belligerence to continue after these attacks. It will probably hold up its ability to survive two massive attacks from the U.S. and Israel as proof of its strength and divine backing. Before long, it will once again seriously threaten the peace of the world, pushing and provoking a “whirlwind” of mass destruction, exactly as the Bible prophesies and Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has warned for more than 30 years. Read his booklet The King of the South.
How the World Reacted
The global response to Israel and America’s strikes on Iran is very revealing.
Britain: quiet. Prime Minister Keir Starmer loudly proclaimed that Britain had nothing to do with the attacks in an obvious plea for Iran and its proxies to leave the UK alone. Once Iran struck British interests anyway, Starmer still did not respond, but he did allow the U.S. to strike back from British bases.
Veteran journalist Andrew Neil called Starmer “an embarrassment and an irrelevance”:
In a series of excruciating changes, including on this station, from which his reputation will not recover, [Defense Secretary] John Healey refused to say, again and again, if the British government supported the attacks on Iran. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper went through the same farce this morning.
Well, it’s only the signal military action of our time. Why would you have an opinion? …
None of this is to argue for British support or British participation. I understand why we should be wary. But it is to argue we should know where our government stands. Yet we don’t. Hence the embarrassment and the irrelevance.
Canada and Australia have backed the strikes. Britain’s leaders lack even the nerve to back or oppose them.
EU: leaderless. President Trump’s decision to strike Iran once again demonstrates what a strong, determined leader can do. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was widely criticized for waiting until Monday to even convene a meeting about the “signal military action of our time.” War may have broken out in the Middle East, but European politicians can’t be expected to work weekends.
EU nations produced an assortment of responses to the war. Germany and France kind-of-sort-of supported the U.S. while calling for negotiations. They, along with the UK, put out a statement saying they might be willing to help “potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.” Spain, meanwhile, condemned America and Israel.
Cyprus: distressed. The one area where the EU moved swiftly speaks volumes about its priorities.
A drone struck a British airbase in Cyprus at midnight on Sunday. No one was hurt. But von der Leyen quickly released a statement saying that the EU stands “collectively, firmly, and unequivocally” with its member states. Greece dispatched two warships to help guard the island.
The base is sovereign British territory, yet it is not the Royal Navy coming to defend the island. The EU is seizing the opportunity to portray itself as Cyprus’s most reliable defender.
After Hamas massacred Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023, and ignited the current round of war, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry immediately drew attention to Cyprus: “Led by Germany, Cyprus is becoming a military base for the European Union!” The island is crucial for outside nations that want to project power into the Middle East. “Don’t you think Germany wants to push Britain and America out of Cyprus, which they used so powerfully in that last world war?”
This bombing shows the importance of Cyprus as an airbase and monitoring station, and it reveals Europe’s will to establish dominance over it.
Vatican: ‘jaw jaw.’ Pope Leo issued “a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” on Monday. He claimed:
Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats nor with weapons that sow destruction, pain and death, but only through a dialogue that is reasonable, authentic and responsible.
History teaches the opposite lesson. Conflicts that ended with dialogue have tended to explode again, but those that ended with overwhelming force, like World War ii, have proved to be more stable and conclusive. Though man doesn’t have any way of bringing lasting peace.
As the first American pope, Leo is probably keen to avoid being seen as too supportive of his home country. The Vatican is also keen to get more involved in the Middle East peace process, so it wants to avoid taking sides.
This is a church that claims to belong to Jesus Christ, yet it has constantly prioritized its own political interests over taking a stand against evil. The October 7 massacre is a prime example. Pope Francis did not condemn Hamas, instead directing most of his condemnations at Israel and spreading fake news about the war. Leo is less dramatic in his gestures, but the same spirit is there.
For more on Europe and the Vatican’s ambitions in the Middle East, read Mr. Flurry’s article “As You Watch Gaza—Watch Germany.”
Americans Don’t Want Another War
Only a quarter of Americans expressed support for the United States and Israel launching major strikes against Iran, a Reuters-Ipsos poll found in the hours afterward. Public opinion could significantly affect how the Trump administration moves forward, especially with midterm elections eight months away.
- Support for the attacks on Iran was stronger among Republicans than Democrats, with 55 percent of Republicans surveyed approving, 13 percent disapproving and 32 percent unsure.
- Some influential figures in the Republican Party, and even within the Make America Great Again movement, are extremely critical: Commentator Tucker Carlson went so far as to call the attacks “disgusting and evil,” while former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said, “We voted for America First and zero wars.”
President Trump released a video message on Sunday announcing that it could “take four weeks or less” for America to achieve its objectives in Iran, and that he has agreed to speak to the Iranian government. With Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders killed in the earliest stages of operations, the Trump administration hopes an arrangement can be made between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian people, many of whom have been openly exuberant at the death of the dictatorial supreme leader.
This hope is misplaced. The Revolutionary Guards exist to keep Iran’s Islamist regime Islamist and in power. They cannot be rooted out in mere weeks.
In the 1950s, the late Herbert W. Armstrong boldly forecast that World War ii would be the United States’ last military victory unless Americans repented of their sins and began obeying God. In the decades since, America has suffered humiliating defeat after humiliating defeat in conflicts against smaller powers as it has failed to see them through to successful conclusions.
The Iran strikes will be the same. The death of the ayatollah is a setback for Iran, but the Islamist dictatorship in Tehran will survive, one way or another, unless the American people repent, starting with a humble acknowledgement that, as Benjamin Franklin counseled, “God governs in the affairs of men.”
To see what the Bible says about a superpower losing its wars, read “America Has Won Its Last War,” by Stephen Flurry.
IN OTHER NEWS
Pakistan declares ‘open war’ against Afghanistan: Pakistan attacked Afghanistan in what it called “open war” against the Taliban. Pakistan has alleged that the Afghan Taliban has been sponsoring the Pakistani Taliban in terrorist attacks against Pakistan’s military. Pakistan has responded with cross-border and aerial attacks against Kabul, Bagram Airbase and other important targets. The fact that this major conflict is being crowded out of the headlines by other conflicts reflects what Jesus Christ prophesied in Matthew 24:6-7 regarding the proliferation of “wars and rumours of wars.”
France building more nuclear weapons: France is expanding its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades. “I have ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads in our arsenal,” French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday at a naval base in Île Longue. “To be free, you must be feared.” This comes after Germany and France have officially entered discussions about developing a European nuclear umbrella independent of the United States. Prophecy reveals that France will give its power to a German-dominated Europe.
German lawmakers consider increased cybercapabilities: Germany’s Interior Ministry is pushing for legislation that would allow law enforcement agencies to attack cyberthreats by hunting down foreign threats, shutting down foreign computer networks, and redirecting data. The draft law states, “Like law enforcement, prevention of threats does not stop at national borders when it comes to combating cyberattacks.” Watch for laws like these to pass and for German agencies to become shockingly powerful, aggressive and effective.
More young Germans joining the military early: Germany’s Bundeswehr added a record number of soldiers under the age of 18 in 2025, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. A total of 3,131 (an eighth of all new recruits, and 1,000 more than the previous year) joined at age 17 with parental consent. Although 638 minors left the Bundeswehr early last year, it’s clear that there is increased interest from young Germans in joining the military.
Germany amends drone defense law: On Thursday, the Bundestag amended Germany’s air security law, allowing the military to shoot down drones. Previously, such incursions, including those by Russia, were considered the responsibility of the police, who were often ill-equipped to respond. Flying drones into airport airspace is also now punishable by up to two years in prison. Expect Germany to rapidly progress in combating—and deploying—drone technology as it becomes a larger factor in national security.
Austin terrorist apparently responding to Iran strikes: Yesterday, a man armed with a pistol and a rifle opened fire in a busy nightlife district of Austin, Texas, killing two people and wounding 14 others. The gunman, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design on it underneath a hoodie printed with “Property of Allah.” Originally from Senegal, he entered the U.S. on a short-term tourist visa in 2000, before marrying a U.S. citizen. Authorities are working to conclusively determine whether the gunman was motivated by U.S. strikes against Iran.
