Global SITREP A3-26: Operation Epic Fury Endgame PART III

April 22, 2026: We now know that President Trump's unilateral extension of the ceasefire with the Iranian Twelver regime is due to the fact that the regime is in a fractured and highly unstable political state. The IRGC appears to be acting since yesterday as the de facto power of the government in ordering attacks by IRCG fast attack craft on M/Vs in the Strait of Hormuz and east of it from the Iranian Port of Chabahar into the Gulf of Oman. The lack of a U.S. response thus far to the serious attacks gives weight to what Pentagon sources say will come next.

Multiple sources are reporting that officials in the Pentagon are strongly indicating that a resumption of the war is imminent. However, the resumption of combat operations will far surpass the power and violence rained down upon Iran since the initiation of hostilities on February 28. Three U.S. Navy supercarrier CSGs are now in the CENTCOM AOR (Lincoln, Ford and G.H.W. Bush) plus several thousand U.S. Marines, Airborne and Special Operations forces plus the inherent and significant increase of combat airpower. Israeli forces are also primed to resume their Operation Roaring Lion combat operations

The meaning here is that Trump's indefinite ceasefire probably does not indicate a long-term cessation but a finite extension of potentially very short duration in order to give the Twelver political echelon a chance to impose control over the IRGC.

24 April 2026: The U.S.-Iranian Twelver "negotiations" in Pakistan have taken a big hit because hardliners in the Ayatollah's inner circle and the IRGC have forced (former) lead negotiator Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf to resign. Ghalibaf was also severely reprimanded by the inner circle over inclusion of the nuclear issue in negotiations with the US. His participation is likely the reason any progress was made in previous rounds. Regime hardliners and the Ayatollah's inner circle have clearly won the internal power struggle.

With Twelver hardliners in control there's no chance for a successful outcome, which explains why Vice President Vance has cancelled his plans to travel. President Trump now has his response from Tehran. 

25 April 2026: Iranian Twelver envoy Araghchi met with his Islamic brothers in Pakistan and delivered Tehran's "comprehensive response" to Trump's demands. He has since departed for chats in Muscat and Moscow. Meanwhile, Trump's envoys Witkoff and Kushner are still hours away from landing in Islamabad. Once arrived they'll receive the Twelver response - which is, essentially, there can be no further negotiations with the U.S., there is no nuclear issue, the SoH will remain closed and the U.S. and Israel owe the Twelver regime billions in war reparations. To say at this point that Trump has not been played like a fiddle by the Twelver regime would be a massive understatement. Trump's reaction is sure to be epic.

1 May 2026: It appears to be crunch time for the current phase of Operation Epic Fury as the 60-day threshold of war powers act has arrived. 

The Trump Administration has a couple options to employ. One is to ignore the 60-day mark as previous presidencies have done. Another option is to seek a congressional declaration of war against the Twelver regime. The decision has either already been made or will be made in a matter of a few more hours. 

I believe the decision has been made as the U.S. Army made a request to deploy its Dark Eagle (Long Range Hypersonic Weapon or LRHW) system to the CENTCOM AOR.

7 May 2026: Today Iranian forces launched attacks on three U.S. Navy destroyers transiting eastbound (outbound) from the gulf. USCENTCOM released the following AAR:

“Iranian forces launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats as USS Truxtun (DDG 103), USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115), and USS Mason (DDG 87) transited the international sea passage. No US assets were struck."

FINAL UPDATE 13 May 2026: Eschatology Today closes out this SITREP in noting that both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have conducted retaliatory airstrikes on specific targets inside Iran. This news has been accompanied by reports of Israel's Mossad director making covert visits to the UAE in March and April. These visits signal the close strategic and intelligence cooperation between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi.

There is also a newly revealed international military coalition of more than forty nations, led by the United Kingdon, who will defend maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks and operate to restore freedom of navigation in the Gulf. The Royal Navy air defense destroyer HMS Dragon looks to be this force's flagship.

Within the next day or so the previously noted return to far more destructive attacks on Iran by the US and Israel appears very likely. Operation Sledgehammer will be the subject of SITREP A4-26.

 Maranatha!

Global SITREP A7-25: Jeremiah's Appointment?

 

Four B2 Spirit Stealth Bombers on Standby

UPDATED 29 March 2025: On 7 March the United States of America delivered an ultimatum to the Islamic Republic of Iran: Within 60 days you will enter into negotiations for a new nuclear deal, or else. 

A very stealthy and lethal part of the 'or else' are now sitting on a tarmac at Diego Garcia island in the Indian Ocean (image above). For those who've not been following the 60-day countdown, it will expire during the first week of May 2025, and that is when "bad, bad things will happen for Iran."

30 March: Iran has threatened to attack the Chagos Islands where Diego Garcia island is located with the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). For Iran there is no distinction between US and UK forces based there.

31 March: Ari Larijani, the top advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, has said Iran will have no choice but to produce nuclear weapons if attacked by the US.

3 April: Eschatology Today years ago advanced an interpretive exegesis of Jeremiah 49:34-39 which involved a coalition of nations initiating strikes against the Twelver Regime. 

Currently the US, UK and Israel are prepared to strike to preempt the Iranian nuclear weapons program following the unilateral raid conducted by Israel in 2024 that hit both air defense capabilities and a key nuclear site Iran believed no one knew about.

Now France is warning of the "inevitability" of military strikes should diplomatic efforts to secure an agreement fail. The French statement mirrors that of President Trump's statements in recent days and may be seen as being consistent with the aforementioned 60-day countdown. The U.S. countdown now has approximately 30 days remaining.

USAF B-2 Spirit and Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)

4 April: President Trump recently made a specific point to Ukraine's President Zelenskyy about his not having the 'cards' to play against Russian President Vladimir Putin in either a military or diplomatic effort to end the war. The gambit was with the United States at Ukraine's side (along with Ukrainian rare earth materials) Ukraine would have American 'cards" to play in securing Ukraine's future as an independent country.

There are two great conflicts on the earth at this time aside from the Middle East. The first is the War in Ukraine (Europe) and the Communist Chinese threat to wage war by invading and annexing Taiwan (Western Pacific). However, make no mistake that the Middle East is the conflict with the high potential to determine the outcome of war in Europe and the Western Pacific. 

The impending conflict between the US (with UK, FR and IL) and the Islamic Republic of Iran will prove whether or not President Trump really possesses the 'cards' or if he is about to overplay his hand. Should Trump's threat for "bad, bad things" fail to materialize for Iran next month then both Russia and the Chinese would be correct to assess that the cards in Trump's hand are nothing more than a brinksmanship bluff (Trump has pledged to be a peace president and not a war-starting president) and they could press on with their national agendas of using overwhelming kinetic force to achieve their desired objectives (the military conquests of Ukraine and Taiwan).

Eschatology Today assesses that President Trump is NOT bluffing. The ongoing build-up of overwhelming American warfighting capability in the CENTCOM AOR, in particularly the several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carrying two each 30,000 lb. Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs to crack open Iranian mountain redoubts housing nuclear and missile depots is not an idle threat. There can be no retreat from "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." Russia and the 'kings of the East' are watching intently. So are we.

Six B-2 Spirit Stealth bombers on the tarmac at Diego Garcia

8 April 2025: Why are these B-2 bombers not inside the hangers designed for them? Because American generals want the overhead satellites and Iran "to see our sword." They carry the most potent non-nuclear weapons in the American inventory and are impervious to Iranian air defense, or what is left of it. And, if necessary, they can carry nukes too, a lot of them.

I24 news (Israel) just reported that the US propsal to Iran is akin to the Libyan nuclear disarmament accepted by Muamar Kadhaffi years ago and which preceded the coup d'etat which overthrew his regime and resulted in his death.

The US will allow Iran to keep nuclear power for civilian use (Bushehr NPP), but its weapons program, including uranium enrichment, must be shut down and 100% dismantled or it will be destroyed in place. Iran has less than a month to accept or reject the options. Iran accepting the "Libyan option" is considered unlikely.

Logo for Israel's 77th Anniversary

UPDATE 9 April 2025: The logo designed to celebrate Israel's 77th year of existence is scheduled for official release in early May. Coincidentally, or possibly not so, the timing of the release is concurrent with the terminus of Iran's 60-day warning period to unilaterally terminate their nuclear weapons program or have it terminated by force of arms as foretold by the LORD's prophet Jeremiah (Yirmĭyāhu).

In other news, the lead prosecutor of the government of Argentina has solicited the country's Supreme Court to issue an arrest warrant for Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the terrorist bombing of the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires. Argentinian investigators have solid evidence of Iran's responsibility for that terrorist attack. Argentina under the leadership of President Javier Milei has become one of Israel's strongest allies.

Israel has completed the division of Gaza into three zones. 

The Netzarim Corridor slices completely through the strip south of Gaza City; the Morag Corridor slices through between Khan Younis and Rafah, and the Philadelphi Corridor divides Gaza from Egypt south of Rafah. 

Annexation of the parcels of land to Israel proper between these corridors will fully reverse the 2005 disengagement by the late-Ariel Sharon government. 

"If we have to do something harsh, we'll do it." - President Trump

Global SITREP C5-24: All Eyes on Isaiah and Jeremiah

Syria

UPDATED 17 December 2024: The above map is a good baseline for the various entities controlling Syrian territory at present. It is from this position that Eschatology Today interprets the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49: 23-27 will come to their fulfillment.

As of this morning the "rumors of war" that emerged yesterday concerning a Turkish invasion of northern Syria may have become once again a real shooting war. Islamist Turkiyeh has been assessed by most observers to be taking advantage of the sudden collapse of the former regime last week. A noticeable buildup of forces along the northern border in recent days and drone swarm attacks against Kurdish-SDF forces resulted in a lightning Turkish takeover of the border city of Manbij. Those forces have since advanced towards an adjacent border city at Kobani. The Kurdish-SDF has approximately 900 U.S. troops embedded within it. ((Pentagon belatedly admitted there were 2,000 U.S. troops embedded with the SDF.)) The Kurds refer to this northern region as Rojava. The Kurds of northern Syria fear a genocide of their population at the hands of the Turks and their allies.

Jeremiah 49:23-27 provides the best overview for the events which will overtake the whole of Syria, as does Isaiah 17 for the inevitable conflagration between HTS-controlled Syria and Israel. We've seen this prophetic narrative coming for a very long time, but did not fully understand how it would transpire. We did not see how the HTS onslaught against the former Assad regime would cause Russia to evacuate its forces from across Syria. 

Previously both the Russian and American military presence in northern and northeastern Syria prevented a large-scale Turkish military invasion, but now with the absence of Russian forces only the U.S., as a NATO ally of Turkey, would conceivably stand in the way. A rumored American withdrawal from Syria, as noted in recent public statements by President-elect Trump, may be the impetus for the Turkish land grab in northern Syria. A unilateral U.S. withdrawal would leave the Kurdish SDF alone to withstand a resurgent ISIS in the Syrian heartland, and the Islamist HTS group of forces seeking to expand their control to as far as the Iraqi border.

To the south Israel is transferring a good portion of its major land warfare power from southern Lebanon back into Gaza where all indications are that HAMAS and the PIJ are in the process of re-grouping their forces for continued warfare. This would belie the talk about an imminent hostage release-ceasefire agreement as just so much deception, notwithstanding President-elect Trump's promise of dire consequences to HAMAS should hostages remain captive on 20 January 2025. The next 34 days will have to run their course, because as our Lord spoke, "these things must take place."

UPDATE 18 December 2024: Eschatology Today believes in the uniformity of the LORD's inerrant prophetic word in Scripture. Even though our eyes are on Isaiah and Jeremiah the current junction is also where the follow-on prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39 as well as the Angel Gabriel's prophecy to Daniel (Ch. 11:40-45) both seamlessly fold in. Ezekiel 38/39 has been covered extensively, so the focus here will now be on the secondary aspects of these prophecies.

Wagner PMC is now Russia's 'Africa Legion'

The Russian's Are Not Coming, They're Already Here

Russian forces have begun their withdrawal from their two 49-year leased bases on the Eastern Mediterranean Levant in the Tartus and Latakia governorates of Syria. They have hooks embedded, but the LORD has not yet pulled on them! 

Some of the evacuated Russian personnel and war materiel has moved north, back to Russia for the war in Ukraine, as has about 12,000 North Korean combat troops (kings of the East) but that's another story. The rest of Russia's forces are re-deploying to Libya and several nations in the sub-Saharan Sahel region of Africa (i.e. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic and Sudan), a/k/a "the king of the South." Until a year ago the Russian PMC Wagner Group was deployed to the Sahel countries, but with the demise of Wagner Russia has re-branded those troops as its 'Africa Legion.'

Give this next sentence the attention it deserves. Ezekiel 38/39 tells of the massive Magog military confederation which invades Israel being utterly destroyed by the LORD on the mountains of Israel. But it does not say that the Magog confederation nations are completely destroyed as well. Has any other prophecy-centric website put forward this clear distinction? These nations appear again during the 70th Week of Years in Gabriel's Daniel 11:40-45 prophecy moving against the Antichrist (the 'he' in that prophecy and his military presence in Greater Israel (the Glorious Land).

Russian 'Africa Legion' Countries

The Iranian and the Turkish Problems

No need to rehash what we've already covered about the catastrophe coming to Syria, except to say that a great deal of what has come upon and is still to come upon Syria, is due to the imperial machinations of Turkey's Islamist leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Just as Vladimir Putin wants to recover the former Soviet Union so too does Erdogan want to recover the Ottoman Empire. In this objective the Kurdish people of Turkey, Syria and northern Iraq are an obstacle and a genocide against them looks to be Erdogan's version of a 'final solution.' Erdogan recently stated that had the victorious Allied Powers (UK and France) after World War I not divvied up the Ottoman Empire the way they did Aleppo, Damascus and the rest of Syria would today be an integral part of Turkey. It would seem that Turkish and Russian designs on the Levant and Israel align nicely, hence their Magogian alliance in Ezekiel 38/39.

Iran is pushing full speed ahead with nuclear enrichment for its weapons program, and which has the full attention of Israel and the incoming Trump Administration as well as the UK, France and Germany, among other Euro and Middle Eastern nations. Iran has virtually achieved 90% purity, and thus nuclear weapons capability to the tune of a dozen or more warheads of various yields. Iran, in an alignment with Turkey, is also threatening the new Sunni Islamist government in Syria, effectively saying that its youth will bring Syria back into the Iranian orbit. Eschatology Today has always held the view that Iran will be militarily minimized based upon Ezekiel's listing of the country with second tier powers Kuwsh and Put. The drive for nuclear weapons capability is quite likely to terminate in the very short-term with subsequent airstrikes by a coalition of nations now that its air defense systems are virtually non-existent, thanks to Israel. Still, Iran survives enough to play its prophetic role with Russia and Turkey in Ezekiel 38/39.

UPDATE 27 December 2024: In wrestling for several days about how to close out this final SITREP of 2024 Eschatology Today determined that an essential issue requires addressing. 

As of Monday, 30 December 2024, the State of Israel will have been at war for a continuous 500 days. This war has been expected as a literal fulfillment of prophetic Scriptures for as long as this blog has existed. This seven-front, existential war for Israel is exactly that, albeit an ongoing process of literal fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures. 

Despite the claims of the Israeli coalition government of having defeated HAMAS and the several terrorist groups in Gaza, and of having defeated the Shi'a terrorist Hezbollah and its "Palestinian" terrorist allies in southern Lebanon and Syria, nothing of the sort has actually been realized. Not yet anyway.

On a daily basis IDF troops are killed in combat operations throughout Gaza through firefights or IED roadside bombs. HAMAS and its allies have lost nearly 4,000 fighters, a significant number of their leadership, and have wholly devastated infrastructure both above and below ground, yet these Islamic jihadists have not surrendered, have not been defeated and still hold an unknown number of hostages of various nationalities. Hezbollah and allies are actively recovering and regrouping their forces which likely number in multiple thousands. The government of Israel cannot claim a victory when a clear-cut victory has not been achieved, much less the oft stated and/or re-stated goals of the war. Nearly the same can be said of Hezbollah in Lebanon even though the agreed "hudna" is violated with airstrikes and firefights on a daily basis. Hezbollah is re-grouping and re-arming itself with all of the war materiel Israel has not been able to locate and destroy in either central and northern Lebanon or Syria. Many war materiel smuggling routes remain unlocated. A nation like Israel cannot militarily defeat in a little over 16 months a group of enemies that have prepared for war over the past 16 years. It's easy math, but apparently not so easy for Israel at this time.

So, what's the problem? Have the 12 tribes of Israel done what the LORD יהוה God has told them is necessary for them to do? Before his death Moses wrote the necessities for Israel in the Book of Deuteronomy, chief among them is the exclusive Covenant of loyalty Israel owes to God. Read Deuteronomy 4, and when reading hold on verse 30 which says: "...when you are in distress because all of these things have befallen you, and in the end, return to and obey your God יהוה. The remainder of the chapter is clear as a bell for Israel. Finally in Deuteronomy 26:16-19 we find a summary of what God commands of Israel:

"This day the Lord your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice. Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy [consecrated] people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken."

This is also our prayer to the LORD for Israel, that when He decides the Bride of Christ is to be Caught Up the fulfillment of Romans 11 and Ezekiel 39:29 are to be realized as well. Perhaps today.

Marana'tha! 

Global SITREP B6-23: A Disaster in the Making

 

UPDATED 25 May 2023: As posted here recently, the legion of Indications and Warnings (I&W) for a major event occurring in Iran continue apace. 

The civilian insurrection against the Twelver regime has ramped up despite, and in fact due to the numerous death sentences carried out against captured protestors. Voices within Israel say direct support to the civilian protestors is the best course of action. Were it not for the apocalyptic Twelver's nearly realized nuclear weapons ambition, this would be an excellent course of action, and in truth, is likely in-progress. However, it's not enough to cork the nuclear genie in a bottle. 

The prophecy of Jeremiah 49:34-39 indicates both a civil uprising and external swords being brought against the Twelver regime. This is a relatively long-term process of the Lord's declared judgment being meted out; to be sure it is a near-term yet drawn-out catastrophe for Iran. As as Jeremiah's prophetic Scripture makes clear, the ancient province of Elam is ground zero for the unfolding judgment. For their part, the Twelver's recently reiterated that any military attack upon their nuclear facilities and defense installations will result in all-out war. The regime is woefully ignorant of the Lord's hand holding against the "foremost of their might." A rude awakening and ultimate cause dismay among the regime's clerics.

UPDATE 27 May 2023: Eschatology Today noted quite some time ago that the prophecies regarding present day Iran found in Jeremiah 49:34-39 (as Elam) and Ezekiel 38:5 (as Paras/Persia) are distinct prophecies. It is time to make the prophetic distinction clearer than it has been until now.

In Jeremiah the prophecy is very specific in naming that part of modern Iran which was ancient Elam. Ancient Elam occupied a large portion of southwestern Iran. It is where Iran's nuclear crown jewel is located at Bushehr, and several other of Iran's clandestine nuclear sites are also located. When Israel's leadership decides to strike and neutralize the Iranian nuclear threat, as was done in Iraq (1981 at Osirak south of Baghdad) and Syria (Al Kibar, Deir Ez-Zor province) previously, the region of ancient Elam will be the focus. This region in total encompasses the provinces of Bushehr, Fars, Isfahan, Khuzestan, Lorestan and Ilam. 

As Jeremiah's prophecy makes clear, this is where Iran's judgment through military action (the sword) begins. This is where the foremost of their military might is located. Much of the rest of Iran's external military power as controlled by the IRGC Qods Force (QF) is itemized in the below graphic.

The strikes upon Iran will undoubtedly bring proxy responses against Israel from Syria (Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49:23-27), Lebanon, Gaza and the fifth column proxies in Judea and Samaria (Psalm 83, Isaiah 11:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:24-26). Jordan will also join in with this group of enemies. They all lose this war badly, some cease to exist as nations, others become vassal states. The overall sum of these prophetic fulfillments results in the prophetic narrative concerning Israel found in Ezekiel 38/39. 

That sum boils down to Israel, immediately prior to the 70th Week of Years, dwelling safe and secure, without walls, bars or gates and not even considering the losses endured by Russia in its long-term military investments in Syria. Ezekiel 38/39 is a very brief war of retribution and as an attempt to conquer and plunder Israel. Ezekiel 38:5 is where we find Iran (as Paras) a militarily reduced Iran at that, with Libya (Puwt) and Sudan (Kûwsh), and which may include Horn of Africa nations as well. Iran at this time is not a major power and is lumped in with other minor powers like Puwt and Kûwsh in support of the the primary force, a coalition of what remains of the Russian military and its Caucasian and Central Asian allies.

In Jeremiah 49, there does not appear to be a nuclear war element, although the radiation released from strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities will cause a mass exodus to locations around the globe. In Ezekiel 38/39 there's no question about it - nuclear exchanges are certainly a part of that brief war against the participants in it. 

Marana'tha!

Special SITREP A10-23: Israel Military SITREP

Image: Ariel Hermoni, Israel Ministry of Defense 

UPDATE 5 April 2023: Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff (CoS) General Herzi HaLevi has finally spoken openly about Israel's capability to launch a campaign of "overwhelming" strikes against Iran's nuclear weapons and delivery systems programs without the involvement of American forces. CoS HaLevi stated that Israel is fully prepared to execute such a campaign at this time. Anyone who thinks that an Israeli military move against Iran's nukes and missile delivery systems would be a "one and done" type of operation had better think again. Such military action will be an extended campaign in every sense of the word. 

Notwithstanding the U.S. Biden Administration's open hostility to Israel's duly elected Likud-Religious Zionist coalition government, HaLevi acknowledged that having the U.S. military on Israel's side would be beneficial, it is not a necessity. Both nations are opposed to the apocalypse-minded Twelver's nuclear weapons and missile systems, and a U.S. Biden Administration failure to act preemptively would make the botched Afghanistan and JCPOA revival pale to virtual insignificance. So, Israel acting unilaterally following a promised notification to US CENTCOM of its intent to launch, may actually force the U.S. to commit to joint action.

CoS HaLevi also made clear that Israel's civil situation, as well as continuous gun and knife attacks against IDF soldiers and civilians in Judea and Samaria, both in concert with Iran's unrelenting nuclear enrichment activities, makes an Israeli preemptive campaign more rather than less likely in the coming days. The confrontation between flash-bang grenade tossing police forces and Islamic radicals holes up inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque yesterday quickly escalated into a total of 18 HAMAS rockets being launched into southern Israel in at least three salvos. No deaths or serious damage resulted from the rocket fire. The IAF and Israeli tanks immediately responded with punishing strikes against terrorist targets within Gaza and border observation towers. 

Israel's Security Cabinet may have just convened as requested by NATSEC Advisor Itamar ben Gvir.

3 April 2023: Last evening Arutz Sheva published the comments made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during his tour of the Etzion Regional Brigade whose AOR is around Bethlehem. Accompanying DM Gallant on this tour were the Commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, the CoS of Central Command and the Commander of the Shaked Battalion, Givati Brigade. The presence of these elite combatant commanders is indicative of the seriousness military situation Israel is currently facing; it's open publication in unclassified public media serves as I&W (Indication and Warning).

The situational assessment DM Gallant provided these commander with yesterday follows:

"All our fronts are tense. The Iranians are extending their outreach to Judea, Samaria, and Gaza and attempting to entrench themselves in Syria and Lebanon. We will not allow the Iranians and Hezbollah to harm us. We have not allowed it in the past, we won’t allow it now or anytime in the future. When necessary – we will push them out of Syria to where they belong – and that is [in] Iran."

Global SITREP A1-22: The Death of Nations

UPDATED 1 January 2022: One thing all good intel analysts do is read. And I mean they read a lot. So, guess what I've been doing a lot of. Yup, reading. Forecasts, trends, OSINT, lot's of stuff to be sure. And one of those was an article that used the image above to illustrate the point the author was making. The author is Peter Zeihan, formerly of Strator but now running his own concern, Zeihan on Geopolitics. The analysis that got my attention was about Russia, the Russian Federation, and how it continues to collapse politically and especially demographically. 

Demographics are important, and it's the equivalent of when the Lord's words speaks of nations and peoples. It's also related to what has been written here about the process or processes involved in prophetic fulfillment. I believe the judgment of God upon the nations and peoples of this world is prophetic and follows a given path to ultimate fulfillment. In this case, and although this author does not even come close to the prophetic implications involved with Russia in particular, the points made are clearly in sync with the Lord's judgment.

Russia as a distinct nation is dying simply because there aren't that many Russians, the birthrate has sunk to a fairly slight percentage. Have you ever wondered why in Ezekiel 38/39 mighty Russia (Magog) comes against tiny Israel with such a massive confederation of armies in addition to its own? This is besides the fact that coalition warfare has become the norm of the 20th and 21 centuries. Russia today has a very small ethnically Russian army. Much of its 'boots on the ground' in various hotspots around the world today are mercenaries,' and so it will be with Ezekiel 38/39. 

The bottom line here is that Russia cannot afford to lose the bulk of its ethnic Russian armed forces, and this is especially true with the rising superpower on its western frontier. The EU has become and will continue to coalesce into an ethnic European polity, and we know this is a fact per prophecy. Ten Toes, Ten Horns, Ten Kings that rise to become a feared and dominant military power in these last days who willfully allow and eleventh king to rise up and take totalitarian control of all. And we know from previous SITREPs that Russia, as we see at the present time, is embarked on a great gambit to expand its power westward (see image again) in a vain attempt for forestall the rise of a revived "Greco-Roman Empire" backed by the military might of the young lions of the North American hemisphere. Yet before this takes place, or more correctly, is allowed to come to completion, events take place in the Middle East and hooks are placed in the jaws to draw Russia and its cohort to the death on the mountains of Israel. But the end it not yet, there is much more to follow.

UPDATE 4 January 2022: Time has come to conclude this SITREP in preparation for the next.  Events that have been expected to occur now have at least preliminary OSINT reports of having taken place. In the past 72 hours numerous reports have appeared in foreign media, and separating fact from fiction and pure propaganda is ongoing. The Indications and Warnings (I&W) are heavy that big and very near-term events are brewing in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza.

On top of the I&W, it has been expected that the January 3, 2020 anniversary of IRGC Quds Force Major General Qasem Soleimani's assassination would include attacks against US and coalition forces. Current indications are that coalition forces may have launched preemptive strikes with artillery and missiles against Iranian militias in Deir Ezzor from the Coalition firebase at Al-Omar oil field, also in Deir Ezzor. Iranian propaganda is running rampant and taken with a grain of salt.

It appears that the second Israeli attack against Iranian armed smuggling at Syria's critical Latakia port has had the desired effect upon the Syrian regime. Initial reports are the weapons smuggling operation by IRGC QF Unit 190 at Latakia has been ordered by Bashar al-Assad, not doubt with Russian urging, to curtail its operations. Other reports indicate that the Al-Dimas airfield west of Damascus has been taken over by Hezbollah and IRGC-QF forces. Eviction of local farmers and underground base construction by Hezbollah are said to be ongoing. Expect the IAF to target this base soon.

HAMAS and PIJ may be on the cusp of igniting a new round of fighting against Israel's civilian population. The anticipated trigger event is the death of a 140-day hunger strike by a terrorist prisoner named Abu Hawash. There is much credence to the terrorist threat with direct fire from Gaza into Israeli border communities having occurring in recent days. IDF tanks return fire into Gaza.  

Russia-Ukraine, China-Taiwan, Iran, North Korea and the Middle East are all hot spots which have the potential to ignite a sudden global conflagration in 2022. 

Global SITREP F3-21: Zero Hour - Part II

Russia's Khmeimim Air Base, Syria

UPDATE 17 December 2021:  Eschatology Today's decade-old interpretation of Jeremiah 49:34-39 indicating a coalition of nations acting against the Twelver regime's nuclear weapons program, much to the delight of Israel, is once again on the front, high-heat burner with the collapse of the Vienna negotiations. 

As became clear this past week there is no hope for a return the the all but dead 2015 JCPOA agreement whose funeral will be attended by Caolition airstrikes on Irans known nuclear sites and several others previously known only in intelligence circles or fleeting references by former Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu.

7 December 2021: Very early in the very early hours this morning the IAF conducted a precision air strike on the port facility at Latakia. In Eschatology Today's analysis this strike could have profound repercussions for one major reason and one minor reason. 

The minor reason is the proximity of today's IAF strike to Russia's Khmeimim Air Base which lies just 5 miles southeast of the Latakia port facility. This is a very sensitive area when it comes to Israeli air strikes in Syria. Not the least of which is the IAF air strike in 2018 when wildly firing Syrian air defenses shot down a Russian patrol aircraft killing all crewmen aboard. Russia blamed Israel for causing the shootdown, characterizing its air operation as reckless endangerment of its forces in Syria. As a result the S-400 Air Defense System was deployed (see map above) to Khmeimim AB in addition to S-300, S200 and other short range air defense systems. 

The important thing here his Israel has repeatedly struck targets in Latakia port, and every one of the strikes here since 2013 has been against Iranian missile and weapons shipments destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Such is the case with today's air strike. A containerized shipment of missiles was recently offloaded from the Iranian cargo ship MV Artabaz which had transited directly from the Iranian port at Bandar Abbas. 

It's no secret that Russia's preference is for Iranian forces to get out of Syria. Russia has looked the other way in recent months when Israel turns Iranian weapons shipments into scrap metal within hours of their arrival in Syria. The assessment is that Russia views the Israeli strikes as serving its interest in removing Iran, and because Iran has taken advantage of the location of the base in Khmeimim to clandestinely transfer war materiel into Syria. This is the minor reason of concern.

The major reason of concern is that Syria's Foreign Minister, Faisal Mekdad, has just completed a visit to Tehran where he assured the Twelver regime that Syria would defend Iranian military forces in his country. In less than 12 hours Israel promptly put the lie to that Syrian promise, at least thus far it has, with today's strike upon Iranian missile containers on the dock at port Latakia destined for transfer to Hezbollah. Should Syria be foolish enough to make good on its promise to retaliate directly against Israel with rocket or missile strikes of its own - then this situation will take on the acutely prophetic prospect of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49:23-27 fulfillment. 

Iranian weapons burning at Port Latakia, Syria this morning.

Updates as they occur. Check the comments for other info.

 5 December 2021: The details surrounding Israel's success against the Twelver regime's nuclear progress in recent months was revealed last Thursday by The Jewish Chronicle dot com. 

Photo Credit: Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Details can be found at TheJC website. In sum, the article reveals that a team of 1,000 Mossad analysts, technicians and many subject matter experts assisted greatly by 10 Iranian dissident scientists were responsible for the July 2020, April 2021 and June 2021 attacks on Iranian nuclear weapons facilities, chief among them the A1000 centrifuge hall at Natanz (image above). 

In the months since then Iran has restored those interrupted capabilities and now, as we've discussed recently, has embarked upon the path to breakout nuclear weapons capability by further enriching the 60% HEU to 90% weapons grade HEU. This is now apparent even to the Western nuclear negotiators in Vienna who on Friday suspended further talks with the Iranian delegation which has been playing them for fools while pushing hard to manufacture their nuclear weapons.

What is also clear is that prophecy found in Jeremiah 49:36 where the  prophet quotes the Lord saying "Against Elam (Iran) I will bring the four winds from the four corners of heaven..." Eschatology Today has long interpreted this phrase to indicate coalition warfare against the Iranian nuclear threat, and still ultimately hold to that interpretation. 

However, as TheJC article makes very clear Israel has embedded in Iran a very large and capable force which has been repeatedly assaulting Iranian nuclear activities for two years with more and greater assaults coming in 2022. In this Israel has surrounded Iran nuclear prize from within Iran itself; the Israeli and Iranian dissident cohort has struck from every direction on the compass.

The coming attack, either this month or next in 2022 will be a full-scale assault at the heart of Iran's nuclear program. With the Vienna talks halted, and as we've stated recently, their is nothing further to restrain finishing the job of denuclearizing the mullahs in Tehran. We've hinted at this for some time now and perhaps you'll recall past SITREP'S that spoke of the new IDF military doctrine known as Israel Victory. Well, Israel Victory has now come to Iran in a way few imagined. 

The Iranian regime is frightened, and to not expect them to lash out with their proxies in Syria, Hezbollah, HAMAS in Gaza and Judea and Samaria and even in Yemen simply makes no sense. They will lash out in a desperate attempt to salvage the Shi'a eschatology from certain oblivion. That lashing out will without question trigger the full-assault the IDF has been preparing for these past months, with or without allied military participation.

There will be updates to this SITREP, probably sooner rather than later.

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP D8-21: Israel Going Alone vs Iran?

USCENTCOM AOR

28 January 2021: The map above illustrates one of the most critical combatant commands of the U.S. armed forces, the Central Command Area Of Responsibility.  One of the astute things President Trump did during recent weeks, January 14th to be precise, was to transfer Israel from the European Command (USEUCOM) to the Central Command (CENTCOM). Today, the CENTCOM Commander, General Kenneth McKenzie, Jr., USMC, visited Israel and met with IDF commander General Aviv Kochavi.

Nuclear-armed Israel is now an integral part of not only the CENTCOM AOR and US military policy in the whole of southwest Asia, but also a part of the Israel-Sunni military bloc standing against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This military bloc not only has repercussions for Iran, but also for the Iranian Houthi proxy in Yemen, with which the Sunni bloc has been at war with for a few years now.

The bellicosity coming from Iran as a direct result of this shift took an ominous tone today when the Iranian military spokesman, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi threated to "level Haifa and Tel Aviv" at the "slightest mistake" made by Israel. Shekarchi's statement was in response to General Kochavi's severe public warning concerning Israel's determination to "go it alone" against Iran if necessary and briefly outlined the IDF's training and mission-oriented contingency planning to strike Iranian nuclear weapons infrastructure. Them's fightin' words folks, no if's, and's or but's about it.

Israel's determination and willingness to strike is based upon the knowledge that Iran, having made public its decision to enrich its stockpile of uranium to twenty percent - and therefore become within reach of weapons grade uranium and nuclear weapons capability by spring 2021. 

Additionally, Israel is dead set against the Biden Administration's much talked about plans to return to the defunct JCPOA, regardless if any improvements or modifications to the agreement. The Biden Administration says it would go forward only if Iran were to roll back its advances of the past two years to conform within the JCPOA limits set in 2015. That roll-back would take time, more time than it would take Iran to race forward and produce its nuclear weapon. According to General Kochavi's statements, that is a risk Israel and all of its allies in the region, including the US CENTCOM, cannot take.

Therefore, to answer to question posed in the title of this SITREP, Israel would not be forced to "go it alone" because the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon is just as much an existential threat to Haifa and Tel Aviv as it would be to Bahrain, the UAE or even Saudi Arabia. As Eschatology Today has maintained for the past eight years that the Iranian nuclear program faces a military coalition of nations ranged against it per the interpretation of Jeremiah 49:34-39. 

Here's a "what if." What if an Israeli-led strike take place. Would Iran not make good on it's pledge to level Haifa and Tel Aviv? Would it not make use of proxy forces in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq in a retaliation? If so, then there would be the likelihood of the dominoes scenario of Isaiah 17 and Psalm 83 falling into place. And folks think 2020 was bad. 

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP A10-20: A Continuing Crisis with Apocalyptic Iran

The five Kataib Hezbollah sites
struk by CJTFOIR aircraft around Baghdad

UPDATED - 14 March 2020: With the Iranian Twelver leadership battling COVID-19 among their ranks, the order was given to their strongest Iraqi PMF proxy force, Kataib Hezbollah, to strike the CJTF-OIR base at Camp Taji north of Baghdad. Camp Taji is a coalition base populated by troops from the many nations in the anti-ISIS coalition and both the Iraqi Army and National Guard which they train. 

CJTF-OIR aircraft struck the five targets in the illustration above. Those sites were storing Iranian-suppiled advanced conventional weapons. The strikes caused serious damage and killed several enemy combatants, possibly including an Iranian general. They were executed with the expectation that further Katyusha rocket attacks would not occur anytime soon. That expectation was in error.

This morning Camp Taji is under rocket attack once again with several rockets impacting the base in broad daylight. This attack is breaking news of the past half hour (04:20 AM EDT) so specific details are not yet known. However, Iraqi military sources say there have been casualties among personnel of the "Air Defense Command" at camp Taji.

The CJTF-OIR response should be imminent.

Update 28 March 2020: The military response did occur and it was massive. An entire IRGC-QF and Iraqi Shi'a militia base in Albukamal, Dier Ez-Zor Province, Syria was annihilated. Not a single above or below ground structure remains. Dozens of enemy troops were wiped out. The location is now just empty desert.

Global SITREP A1-20: IRAN Part II

UK Royal Navy nuclear attack submarine

UPDATE 5 January 2020: It's about 9:30 PM in Israel, 10:30 in Baghdad and Tehran. Iranian proxies just announced they will commence retaliation tonight. 

If Iran attacks the US directly, the NATO common defense charter will be invoked. The UK has its nuclear-powered subs in the region and prepared to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles into Iran. Here, my brothers and sister, is the "coalition of nations" often referred to here regarding Jeremiah 49:34-39. Cruise missiles can be programmed to fly to their targets from every direction on the compass (confuses defenders).

4 JANUARY 2020: President Trump just tweeted a SEVERE WARNING to Iran 30 minutes ago:

"Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently hundreds of Iranian protesters. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. 

Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!"

Screen grab of Soleimani's last Damascus-Baghdad flight.

SECOND UPDATE 3 January 2020: A second American precision airstrike has just occurred north of Baghdad, near Camp Taji. There are six confirmed dead from the Hashd al-Shaabi, an Iranian-led Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militia, in what is being reported as a Predator drone strike against a multiple vehicle convoy. Two precision strikes in as many days, both against moving vehicles after sunset. 

3 January 2020: The tremendous capabilities of US intelligence was on full display last night in the real-time tracking of Quds Force MG Qassem Soleimani's and the terrorist ensemble accompanying him on his last flight (Cham Wings FLT 6Q501) from Damascus to Baghdad. Upon arrival the surveillance continued with US military aircraft loitering overhead, and ended with four Hellfire missiles slamming into the convoy of vehicle as they departed the Baghdad International Airport. 

The Islamic Twelver regime had ignored President Trump's quite specific warning that if they continued with the planning they were engaged in yesterday another "big hurt" would occur. It was only a matter of a couple hours before the warning became fact. Iran is not so arrogant today. A regime-declared three-day mourning for Soleimani is in progress, with promises of retribution to follow. The image below is of Gen. Esmail QaAni, the just announced IRGC-QF replacement for MG Soleimani. His days are numbered as well.

What next? There is a very high probability that the military reduction of Iranian warfighting capabilities which Eschatology Today interpreted from Jeremiah 49:34-39 nearly ten years ago will shortly commence. This will be a highly kinetic and asymmetrical war as the opening verses of Jeremiah's prophecy attest. These developments are being closely monitored in real-time, updates as they occur.

2 January 2020: It appears that the US launched a preemptive decapitation strike tonight against the IRGC-QF-led PMF terrorists just outside of Baghdad International Airport (BIAP). There are reportedly 8 killed in the Predator drone strike by four Hellfire missiles on an SUV convoy that had just departed BIAP. One of the reported dead may well be IRGC-QF Major General Qassem Soleimani (image above). The unique ring on the finger appears to be a dead giveaway on the identity of the deceased. Other dead include several high profile terrorists of Lebanese Hezbollah, Kata'ib Hezbollah and Hashd al-Shaabi head Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The Times of Israel is now reporting confirmation that MG Soleimani and al-Muhandis were killed in the strike.

Height of the Iranian Proxy Assault on US Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq 31DEC19

US Marines arrive US Embassy at dusk 31DEC19

US Embassy this morning 1 January 2020

1 January 2020: The above images reflect the three stages of the reiterated Iranian declaration of war against the United States that began in 1979 with the attack and seizure of hostages at the US Embassy in Tehran. The Baghdad embassy assault by soldiers of the Iranian-led PMF (Hashd al-Shaabi) and Kata'ib Hezbollah) of yesterday morning was pushed back by dusk last evening with the arrival of 100 US Marines who flew in on MV-22 Osprey aircraft accompanied by a pair of Apache attack helicopters. Forewarned of the US Marines approach, the terrorists began to withdraw from the embassy's perimeter compound and the last few stragglers were sent fleeing when flash-bang grenades were distributed into their ranks.

Acting on orders from Ayatollah Khamenei, the two individuals who are essentially the government of Iraq, IRGC-QF MG Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis had prepared this assault well prior to the strikes on five Kata'ib Hezbollah camps in al-Qa'im, Iraq and Deir Ezzor, Syria last week as well as prior to the K1 attack which killed a US military contractor (see previous SITREP). 

Additionally, the current leader of the Shi'a terrorist Badr Organization in Iraq, Hadi al-Amiri, was photographed during the siege yesterday. Hadi al-Amiri had been a guest of former President Barack Hussein Obama in the White House in 2011. Al-Amiri was responsible for the smuggling of Iranian-made Explosively Former Penetrator (EFP) munitions into Iraq that killed or main hundreds of US soldiers during Operation Iraqi Freedom, even while he was Obama's guest in the White House. Former-President Obama's links to Islamic terrorists are deep and well known, and thus his fingerprints as a coup d'etat plotter and Deep State operative have been found yet again in yesterday's terrorist attack, with former SECSTATE Kerry known to be actively advising Tehran on how to oppose the foreign policy of President Trump. 

82nd Abn DRB boarding one of the
three C-17A that flew to Iraq last night.

With the deployment of the Marines it was also announced that President Trump directed SECDEF Esper to authorize the deployment of the 82nd Airborne Division's Ready Brigade. The first 750 of these nearly 4,000 airborne soldiers went wheels up immediately last evening and flew non-stop to Kuwait, refueling in mid-flight over the Strait of Gibraltar. Make no mistake, the miscalculation of all involved in this latest Iranian folly will result in severe kinetic damage being done to the Twelver regime in Tehran.

Questions remain on how the normally tight security of the Green Zone in Baghdad was breached with ease yesterday allowing hundreds if not thousands of Hashd al-Shaabi and Kata'ib Hezbollah terrorists access to the US Embassy compound. 

This new chapter of the war involves not only the United States, but also the entire CJTF-OIR international military coalition and Israel. The coming days of this brand new decade have begun most ominously, with the immediate prophetic implication of Jeremiah 49:34-39 and Isaiah 17 holding emphasis.