'If necessary, Israel will take military action to keep Iran from acquiring nukes' - By Ariel Kahana -
Israel will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, and will take military action to prevent it from doing so should all other options fail, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday. Katz's remarks came in response to an Iranian threat on Monday to "level Tel Aviv from Lebanon."
"Israel is not the helpless protesters being slaughtered by the ayatollah regime in Iran and Iraq. We will be able to respond forcefully to any threat or attack," said Katz.
Katz also said that Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese Shi'ite terrorist group Hezbollah, had been "exposed" as an Iranian proxy rather than as a defender of Lebanese interests.
On Monday evening, senior Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps adviser Morteza Ghorbani said that if Israel made even the smallest error when it came to Iran, Tehran would "level Tel Aviv from Lebanon."
Ghorbani claimed that Iran had no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, and said that if Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were to issue instructions to attack Israel, the latter would raise its hands in surrender.
Ghorbani's remarks came in response to an interview Katz gave to the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera over the weekend, in which he said Iran must face the threat of military action in addition to sanctions.
"The Iranians have no idea who they're dealing with. If they realized that 1,000 Tomahawk missiles could be fired at them, they would behave differently," Katz told the paper.
Gog's Persian Partner Prophecy - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/
Threats against America have been coming fast and furiously from the ruling minions in Tehran. Sanctions imposed by America because of Iran's unabated nuclear program, threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and the regimes continuing hostile activities in the region are putting great pressure on the nation's leadership.
The people of Iran-at least a considerable number who are resisting the dictatorship-are leading in applying the pressure. Whereas the propaganda from the Iranian news media-and some within the mainstream news in America as well-has consistently proclaimed that the protests of the people have been against America, even those media no longer can hide the facts. The facts show that the protesters, many of whom have died over the last few weeks, are violently against the Iranian ruling regime. This, even the Ayatollahs are having to recognize. The result of the protests and of this recognition is that they've found a scapegoat, and have acted in trying to divert attention from what's really going on.
The real thing going on is that the people are suffering due to the sanctions imposed because of the regime's dogged determination to develop nuclear military power, thereby going against every agreement they have made to the contrary.
The scapegoat is the Iranian secular office of president (as much as it can be determined that anything about Iran is secular). The following news excerpt gives an indication of the attempted diversion from the ruling religionists being to blame.
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi is to submit his resignation, his office says, after more than 40 people were killed on the bloodiest day since anti-government protests began.
Iraq's top Shia Muslim cleric condemned the use of force against protesters and called for a new government.
About 400 people have been killed in protests since the start of October, and at least 15 died on Friday.
Iraqis are demanding jobs, an end to corruption and better public services.
Is a new Arab Spring unfolding in the Middle East?
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply concerned over reports of the continued use of live ammunition against demonstrators" and called for "maximum restraint." [Abdul Mahdi's resignation] came after Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for a new government.
"In response to this call, and in order to facilitate it as quickly as possible, I will present to parliament a demand [to accept] my resignation from the leadership of the current government," the statement signed by Mr. Abdul Mahdi said.
The statement did not say when his resignation would take place. On Sunday parliament will hold an emergency session to discuss the crisis. (Iraq Unrest: PM Abdul Mahdi to resign after bloodiest day in protests - BBC News)
Sources are setting off alarm bells that Iran is putting its nuclear production facilities into high gear. And, it's not for peaceful, nuclear energy. The following excerpt frames the story.
The Iranian government is shortening its nuclear breakout time-the amount of time required to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a single nuclear weapon. Tehran has accomplished this through several steps in the last few months.
Iran's government first increased its enriched uranium stockpile beyond the 300 kilogram limit; it enriched uranium to levels beyond the cap of 3.67 percent, and then activated 20 IR-4 and 20 IR-6 advanced centrifuges. The Iranian leaders even boasted that their government is now exploring new uranium enrichment programs and producing centrifuges.
Most recently, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, declared that Iran has an adequate supply of 20% enriched uranium., "Right now we have enough 20% uranium," he told the Iranian Students News Agency, ISNA, "but we can produce more as needed". He added that the country is resuming uranium enrichment at a far higher level at the Fordow nuclear facility - an underground uranium enrichment facility which is reportedly located on one of bases of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - injecting uranium gas into centrifuges, and operating 60 IR-6 advanced centrifuges. ("Iran to Have Nuclear Bomb in a Few Months?" by Majid Rafizadeh, Gatestone Institute)
A major part of all this that might be of interest to prophecy watchers, in my thinking, is whether the current and building resistance to the Muslim rulers of Iran will bring stepped up activity in fulfilling their nuclear ambitions (as the above excerpt seems to indicate). They will almost certainly not step up dismantling that program. Becoming a nuclear power, thus a hegemonic regional force, is, I believe, a supernaturally induced desire, placed there by the Prince of Persia, or that minion's superior, Lucifer, himself.
If the Ayatollahs determine their own positions are threatened, might they go all out to complete getting the ultimate weaponry that they think will assure their continuing rulership?
It has long been my contention that something prevents the Gog-Magog force from storming toward Israel, using nuclear weapons. At least, that's the way I read the Gog-Magog forces in regard to their weaponry.
It seems there are no nukes involved-at least, none used by these evil attackers. The Lord, Himself, seems to use something at least as horrific as nuclear weaponry in dealing with those attackers, but their forces seem to be conventional. Salem Kirban, in his novel 666, portrayed the attack as from weaponry exactly described in Ezekiel 38-39. Real horses, real, ancient weapons, etc., the novelist thought, might be used because of something catastrophic happening, causing technological collapse.
Another prophecy comes into view, I think, considering why Persia -Iran- apparently hasn't any nuclear weapons at the time of the attack on Israel.
My friend Bill Salus has written about this prophecy a number of times, including in his book, The Now Prophecies. He outlines the prophesied destruction of Persia's (Iran's) war-making capabilities. He, like I, see things shaping now in the mountainous regions of Iran as building up to the destruction of Iran's nuclear program.
Bill writes the following:
- At the top of my timing list for the NOW predictions is Jeremiah 49:34-39. This prophecy, authored around 596 B.C., seems to deal with what is presently taking place inside of Iran. This ancient foretelling breaks down into two parts, both of which are occurring NOW!
- Jeremiah 49:34-37 appears to be alluding to Iran's military matters, specifically its nuclear and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's) programs. then shifts topics to the religious element and the burgeoning conflict between Islam and Christianity...
- Elam is the area of Iran that hugs the Persian Gulf. Elam represents about one-fifth of modern day Iran and Persia spreads across the remaining four-fifths of the nation. Persia was the name for Iran until 1935.
- About 2700 years ago, two prophecies were issued about future judgments that would come upon Iran. Ezekiel 38:5 addressed Persia, and Jeremiah 49:34 concentrated on Elam. Notice on the map that Elam is the location of Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor. It sits upon the convergence of three tectonic plates and is a nuclear disaster waiting to happen. In addition to this reactor, Iran has contracted with Russia to construct several more of these nuclear facilities in the same general area. (The Now Prophecies, Bill Salus, ms page 21)
We should, I think, keep our spiritual senses attuned to what Iran's tyrannical leadership does next. If they push to complete their nuclear program, the Elam prophecy of destruction might be quite near to fulfillment.
Iran's Plan to Foil the Gaza Ceasefire - by Khaled Abu Toameh - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15268/iran-plan-gaza-ceasefire
Iran seems concerned that its Palestinian allies in the Gaza Strip may reach a long-term ceasefire with Israel. That is probably why Iran summoned leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) to Tehran after reports in the Arab media suggested that the Egyptians have made significant progress in their efforts to achieve a long-term ceasefire between the Gaza-based Palestinian factions, including Hamas and PIJ.
According to the reports, the leaders of Hamas and PIJ who visited Cairo agreed to a long-term ceasefire with Israel. Both groups reportedly told the Egyptians that they would commit to the proposed ceasefire only if Israel halts targeted killings of Hamas and PIJ operatives.
Despite the reports, PIJ officials were quoted as denying that they had agreed to "consolidate" the ceasefire understandings reached with Israel earlier this year under the auspices of Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations. The PIJ leaders reportedly informed the Egyptian mediators that while they were opposed to a long-term ceasefire with Israel, they would honor a formula according to which "calm would be met with calm." What PIJ is saying, in other words, is that they will attack Israel only in response to Israeli "aggression" on the Gaza Strip.
Hamas has also denied the reports about an imminent Egyptian-brokered long-term ceasefire with Israel. Yahya Musa, a senior Hamas official in the Gaza Strip, dismissed the reports as "nonsense" and "fake news."
Another senior Hamas official, Mahmoud Zahar, downplayed the reports about a possible long-term ceasefire with Israel. He said that even if his group agrees to a temporary cessation of terror attacks against Israel, that would be only to allow Hamas to continue stockpiling weapons. "There's no ignoring our main goal: the liberation of all of Palestine," Zahar explained. "Whoever tries to portray the calm as a form of security cooperation or agreement with the [Israeli] enemy is mistaken."
The statements by the Hamas and PIJ leaders contradict the sense of optimism voiced by the Egyptians after the ceasefire discussions in Cairo in the past week.
The Egyptian optimism is apparently based on what Cairo's senior intelligence officials heard from Hamas and PIJ during closed door meetings. Both groups reportedly assured the Egyptians that the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip are interested in preserving the ceasefire understandings with Israel.
Yet, the moment the Hamas and PIJ leaders left Cairo earlier this week, they appeared to recant the announcement. They categorically denied the reports and claimed that "significant progress" had been reached towards achieving a long-term ceasefire with Israel.
Is it possible that the two groups lied to the Egyptians by leading them to believe that Hamas and PIJ are keen on a prolonged period of calm with Israel? Or is there another reason why Hamas and PIJ are now telling everyone that they never agreed to the Egyptian ceasefire proposal?
There is only one explanation as to why Hamas and PIJ seem to be in a panic: fear of Iran's response to any deal with Israel. Hamas and PIJ have long been receiving financial, political and military aid from Iran so that they could continue the jihad against Israel. Obviously, Iran cannot afford to lose its Palestinian proxies, particularly not when Tehran's militiamen and political agents are increasing their activities in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.
A PIJ delegation headed by the group's secretary general, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, is now on its way to Tehran, where its members are expected to assure the Iranian leaders that, as a result of the discussions in Cairo, they have not abandoned the fight against Israel.
Iran's main objective is evidently to ensure that Hamas and PIJ will continue to serve as its trusted agents in its war against Israel. Arab political analysts believe the Iranians are now seeking to retaliate for Israeli airstrikes on pro-Iranian militias and bases in Iraq and Syria.
"Iran wants to use the Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets as a response to Israel's missile attacks on pro-Iranian militias in Syria and Iraq," said Arab political analyst Abdel Moneim Ibrahim. "At the same time, however, Iran does not want to expand the scope of military confrontation to a point where Israel would target bases of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard inside Iran. The biggest tragedy in this game between Israel and Iran and its proxy in the Gaza Strip is that there are dozens of innocent Palestinians dying in every confrontation."
Iran's policy seems to be keeping the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip on a low flame.
That policy means a slow drip of rockets attacking Israel from the Gaza Strip every now and then, while making sure that the violence does not deteriorate into an all-out war in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.
The Iranians are well aware that such a war could result in the total destruction of its proxies in the Gaza Strip, while sporadic rocket attacks will only draw a restrained response from Israel.
The Iranian plan to foil a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip may also be seen as part of Tehran's effort to divert attention from the widespread protests that have erupted in Iran in recent weeks. Dozens of protesters have been killed during demonstrations against a fuel subsidy cut.
What is probably most disturbing for Iran's leaders are the slogans some of the protesters have been shouting: "No to Gaza, no to Lebanon."
These slogans are directed against Iran's financial support for Hamas and PIJ in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The protesters are saying, in other words, that the Iranian people are fed up watching their country deliver hundreds of millions of dollars to Palestinian and Lebanese terrorist groups instead of improving the economic situation in Iran.
Palestinians say that in addition to the financial and military aid to Hamas and PIJ, Iran has also been funding various projects in the Gaza Strip, including building new homes and paying stipends to families of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel for their involvement in terrorism against Israelis.
Palestinian political analyst Mohammed Anabtawi believes that the Iranian aid is aimed at "sabotaging" Egypt's efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and "driving a wedge" between Hamas and the President Mahmoud Abbas's West Bank-based Palestinian Authority. "If Iran was sincere about its aid, it would have channeled it through the Palestinian Authority," Anabtawi said. "But this is politically motivated aid with an agenda that does not serve the interests of the Palestinians. Iran is playing the Gaza card as part of its conflicts in other parts of the world."
Iran is apparently determined to pursue its goal of exporting its "Islamic Revolution" to as many Arab countries as possible, including the Palestinian arena. Another Iranian goal: the elimination of Israel.
Iran can achieve its goal only if its proxies and militias continue to meddle in the internal affairs of the Arab countries and launch more attacks against Israel.
This is how Iran's leaders see the situation: "We are not sending these groups and militias cash and guns so that they can strike ceasefire deals. As long as we're supplying them with money and weapons, they must do anything we want."
That is why it is safe to assume that even if the Egyptians manage to secure any kind of a ceasefire between the Palestinian groups and Israel, the leaders of Tehran will do their utmost to obstruct such an agreement.
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