“The whole thing is a defeat for Donald Trump,” former German Defense Minister Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg concluded in his podcast Land in Sicht on June 23. Referring to the alleged deal between the United States president and the Iranian regime, he said: “Iran is the clear winner in this conflict.”

He gave a few examples:

• Iran has more negotiation power due to its control of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Regime change, other than toward a military dictatorship, is out of the question.
• Israel is weakened and more isolated, losing its U.S. ally.

Guttenberg is right. The U.S. has neither stopped Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons nor dissuaded it from its stated goal of destroying Israel. The stakes are high. For decades, the Trumpet has pointed to Bible prophecies showing that Germany, not the U.S., will stop Iran—and Guttenberg may play a key role.

The Iran Victory

On February 28, the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, eliminating numerous military targets and decapitating its regime. However, the Iranian military complex remains intact and moved to hold the world’s economy hostage by closing the Strait of Hormuz.

As a U.S. victory appeared increasingly elusive and gas prices continued to rise, the U.S. population grew quickly tired of the war. Almost four months later, the U.S. wants out and has capitulated to Iran’s terms.

Guttenberg said:

In my view, Iran has at least gained a few things and is in a far better position than before. Of course, that doesn’t apply to destroyed facilities, ships and military installations. But in fact, the entire document [memorandum of understanding] reads like a declaration of surrender by the U.S. That’s also the kind of rhetoric you hear from Republicans.

He concluded, “Iran can stand tall and consider its position in the global south and in the world to be solidified.”

The conflict has strengthened Iran in the region, when many thought it would mean the regime’s end.

U.S. Goals Remain Unachieved

“The regime is firmly entrenched …. They don’t have to fear that the U.S.—previously perceived as the most powerful player in the region—might intervene with the goal of regime change,” Guttenberg said.

At the beginning of the war, the U.S. boldly proclaimed the ultimate goal was regime change, putting the Iranian people in control of their country. However, after spending billions of dollars and expending tremendous firepower, not to mention the loss of military personnel, the U.S. is further from achieving its goal than ever.

“That ship has sailed for now,” Guttenberg said. “So from that perspective, they are also in a much more comfortable strategic position domestically than they were before.”

The only possible regime change is “moving somewhat away from this theocracy, from a religious leader, toward a constellation characterized more by military dictatorship through the Revolutionary Guards, who are the dominant force right now,” he said.

Another of Trump’s objectives was to undo the disastrous policies of former President Barack Obama, one of which was the nuclear deal with Iran. But even here, Guttenberg believes the Obama deal was better than what Trump is now negotiating. He said:

In all likelihood, we’ll have an agreement that falls short of what Obama negotiated back then—or at least remains at that level. All other critical issues, particularly the support for terrorist groups in parts of this region, aren’t even on the negotiating table yet. So, for Iran, this is a wonderful moment right now.

It appears Iran will be able to continue pursuing nuclear weapons, and it has been promised reconstruction aid—though the financiers are unclear.

The situation is bad for President Trump and even worse for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Consequences for Israel

Netanyahu’s lifetime goal has been to rid Israel of the existential Iranian threat. With Donald Trump in office, he had a president who was willing to do more than any U.S. president before him. However, as the dust settles from this war, Netanyahu and Trump are deeply divided. It is doubtful if Israel can count on future aid from the U.S.

Guttenberg put it this way:

There is a certain tragedy for Israel. … What Israel wants is to keep these groups—and especially that country—in check, a country that has not yet renounced its publicly and repeatedly stated goal of wiping Israel off the map and destroying it.

It remains Netanyahu’s primary goal to defend his country from Iran and its terrorist proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. On this objective, Netanyahu generally enjoys broad support from the Israeli public. … At the same time, of course, he is also concerned with saving his own political skin.

Guttenberg’s verdict: “Israel is more isolated; there’s no question about that. And that, of course, also plays into the hands of Iran’s objectives and those of the radical forces, who in turn believe that Israel, as such, has no right to exist.”

Just as Prophesied

Daniel 11:40 prophesies of a “king of the south” that would push against a “king of the north” in the end time. Since the 1990s, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has identified Iran as the king of the south in prophecy. At the time, few were paying attention to Iran’s geopolitical role. Only in recent years has it started to dominate the regional, and even global, headlines—so much so that the U.S. and Israel were forced to act.

The recent war may have led some to scoff at Mr. Flurry’s prophetic forecast, but as Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker wrote, the U.S.’s capitulation “powerfully testifies of the immutability of God’s prophecies.”

That’s why we need to pay close attention to what prophecy reveals will happen next.

Verse 40 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.”

The king of the north is German-led Europe, which is currently most concerned about the conflict’s resolution. But before Europe can go into battle, something needs to happen.

“Presently, the German people lack only a strongman to lead them into battle,” Mr. Flurry wrote in “World War III Will Start With Iran.” “But Bible prophecy shows they will get their man (Daniel 8:23).”

Europe is about to wage all-out war, likely nuclear war, against Iran. For this, it needs a strongman. Guttenberg may be that man.