Iran War Not Going as Planned

Good morning!

What happens when you launch a war and God isn’t behind you? It’s not good.

[BRIEF]

In our brief this morning, you’ll read about Steve Witkoff’s latest efforts to end the Iran war through shameful capitulation. Sorry, but if the reports on the talks are true, that’s what it is. You’ll also read about the Gulf states being angry at Trump for launching this war that is costing them billions—and looking for other allies, namely Europe.

These are terrible outcomes for, as President Trump described it, “a military success the likes of which people haven’t seen.” But sky-high energy costs, Iranian resistance, global outrage and other factors are forcing his administration to seek off-ramps, even unfavorable. The alternative is to keep fighting for illusory victory—as America did in Afghanistan and Iraq for over two decades.

We are seeing the outlines of how this war’s outcome will be very different from what America and Israel intended and much closer to what Bible prophecy tells us to expect.

Men plot and plan, men strategize and war, men struggle to steer the course of events. But they forget: “The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples” (Psalm 33:10; English Standard Version).

Men believe they can simply impose their will on the world through muscle and might. History repeatedly exposes the limits of man’s power. “The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue” (verses 16-17; esv).

Who decides the outcome of wars? The Bible reveals that the world’s leaders have power only because God has allowed it (Romans 13:1). His purposes prevail. “… I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand …” (Isaiah 46:9-10).

And God communicates to us in advance many of His purposes and the outcomes of events—through His Word, Bible prophecy. He then ensures what He has foretold unfolds as He has said.

This includes the outcomes and consequences of wars. “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance and victory belong to the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31; Amplified).

When we see such events play out on a grand scale, we had better pay attention. God is teaching us a costly lesson. Learn more about this in the new April issue of the Philadelphia Trumpet, appearing online tomorrow.

Witkoff Reportedly Negotiating ‘Peace’ With Iran

United States President Donald Trump has reportedly dispatched Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to negotiate a possible peace settlement for ending U.S. attacks on Iran’s military, nuclear program and security forces. If the reports are accurate, they startlingly suggest that President Trump could be ready to negotiate what would amount to a victory for the Iranian regime.

• Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, represented the U.S. in the failed negotiations that immediately preceded the war, and now, according to Axios, have been communicating with the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf.

According to the Telegraph, “The suggested terms of the peace deal would prevent Iran from having a missile program for five years, requiring the country to halt uranium enrichment and decommission the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow nuclear facilities that the United States attacked in 2025.

“In return, the U.S. would agree to provide guarantees against the recurrence of another war and close its primary base in the region, which hosts some 50,000 troops” (March 23).

Fifty thousand troops is about the total number of American troops in the entire Middle East theater, so the Telegraph report is inaccurate in at least this regard. But even if the U.S. were to close one major base as a concession to Iran, this would be an enormous defeat in the Middle East.

• Trump said last night he plans to have the Strait of Hormuz “jointly controlled” by “me and the ayatollah, whoever the ayatollah is.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office sent a press release yesterday claiming, “President Trump believes there is an opportunity to leverage the tremendous achievements we have reached alongside the U.S. military to realize the goals of the war through an agreement, an agreement that will safeguard our vital interests.”

• For years, Netanyahu has argued against the U.S. and the West making any kind of agreement with the radical Islamist regime in Iran, and he surely wants to press the military advantage at this crucial moment. Publicly and uncritically acknowledging such a potential agreement shows that his hands are tied.

Bible prophecy shows that Iran will become so belligerent that it provokes a world war. Meanwhile, America’s position in the Middle East will weaken to the point that its military won’t even factor into this prophesied war. Originally, it appeared President Trump’s goal was to finish off the Islamist regime. Now it looks like he is unwittingly setting the stage for this prophecy to be fulfilled.

Is the Iran War Pulling Gulf Arabs Toward Europe?

Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf Arab states are rethinking their relationship with the United States as they have lost billions due to the war on Iran, and the Iranian regime remains in power.

• Qatar will lose an estimated $20 billion in annual revenue due to Iran’s attack on its liquefied natural gas plant. Gulf oil producers lost $15 billion in revenue during the first fortnight of the Strait of Hormuz being closed. The United Arab Emirates’ ambitions to become a low-tax luxury haven for the world’s wealthy have suffered incalculable damage.

The Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E.) are angrier than ever with Iran.

“I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be—Qatar and the region—in such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us in ‌this way.”
—Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar energy minister

But many in these countries are also angry with the United States. A prominent U.A.E. billionaire asked Donald Trump on social media:

“Who gave you the authority to drag our region into a war with Iran? And on what basis did you make this dangerous decision? Did you calculate the collateral damage before pulling the trigger? And did you consider that the first to suffer from this escalation will be the countries of the region itself!”
—Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor (X.com, March 5)

The real-estate and hospitality magnate went on to delete the posts, perhaps after pressure from the government, but the words surely reflect the sentiments of large swathes of Arab business, industry and politics.

“[T]he U.S. security umbrella is not what it was in the 1990s. We have gone through one episode after another where the Americans did not act up in that role. This is just a continuation, and we have already been diversifying partners.”
—Dr. Bader al-Saif of Kuwait University

“The threat to the oil and gas production is just the tip of the iceberg—outsourcing security to the U.S. itself has proven to be a failed model. I think there will be a major shift to diversify security guarantees beyond the U.S. The shifts are momentous indeed. The Persian Gulf will never be the same.”
—Prof. Arshin Adib-Moghaddam of the London School of Oriental and African Studies

The Gulf states’ realignment will mean reducing reliance on the U.S. military, purchasing fewer weapons from the U.S., and finding new allies.

Europe is an obvious partner. European companies like Airbus, Rheinmetall and Leonardo can provide advanced weapons. Germany resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia in 2024, and Europe has strong ties to the region. It also looks like a more stable and predictable ally.

The King of the South, by Gerald Flurry, forecasts an alliance between Europe and the Gulf Arabs, along with Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Major strides toward this alliance have already been made. And now that relationship seems to be set up for a dramatic fulfillment—exactly as the Bible prophesies. Read The King of the South online, or get your own free printed copy.

IN OTHER NEWS

German defense minister visits Japan: Boris Pistorius visited his counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, in Yokosuka, Japan, on Sunday to work on a Reciprocal Access Agreement aimed at expediting military cooperation, including the exchange of troops. “We are united by the conviction that the strength of the law must prevail,” Pistorius said, adding that “freedom of sea routes must be guaranteed and protected.” Cooperation between Asia and Europe, including these two former World War ii partner nations, is leading to a “mart of nations” prophesied in the Bible.

German ambassador to Israel causes outrage: German Ambassador to Israel Steffan Seibert has caused outrage after drawing a comparison between Hezbollah killing two Israelis and an Israeli “violent settler rampage in Palestinian villages.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar replied by saying Seibert “finds it very difficult to condemn attacks against Israelis without bringing up the Palestinians,” saying that an obsession with Israeli “settlers” stops Seibert from condemning the “death of a Jew caused by a Palestinian.” Bible prophecy shows that Germany and Israel will have close relations in the end time that will suddenly turn into a great betrayal.

MERCOSUR to be provisionally applied on May 1: Yesterday, the European Union announced the mercosur trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay would be provisionally applied on May 1, after Paraguay ratified the agreement last Tuesday, the last mercosur country to do so. This comes despite opposition from France, and it depends on a decision on the legality of the agreement from the EU Court of Justice. Once enacted, the deal will create one of the world’s largest economic trade blocs and a major economic rival to America.

Supreme Court considers legality of late mail-in ballots: Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case challenging a Mississippi law that allows election officials to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive up to five business days later. The Republican National Committee, the Mississippi Republican Party and others argue that this grace period violates federal law. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit agreed, ruling that ballots must be received by Election Day to be counted. A concurrence by the Supreme Court could invalidate such election laws in 14 total states plus the District of Columbia.

Study: Glyphosate is creating superbugs: The world’s most-used herbicide can encourage the growth and spread of bacteria resistant to medical treatments, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. The evidence cited indicates that exposure to glyphosate kills weaker strains but allows stronger strains to thrive and potentially become ingested by humans through contaminated food and water. They can make common infections more difficult to treat and increase the risk of serious illnesses.