Free Republic

It’s no secret that tensions between Washington and Tehran have been tense since Trump’s inauguration in 2016, recent developments indicate that a potential joint Israel/US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities could be closer than we realize. WHY TRUMP TERMINATED ESPER US President Donald Trump has fired his defense secretary, Mark Esper earlier this week. And while many speculate that the reason is because Esper was at odds with his boss over deploying US troops into cities during violent Black Lives Matter protests, there could have been another reason for the move that many seem to be overlooking. Elissa Slotkin, an...

The decision by three Arab states to make peace with Israel can be credited both to efforts by the Trump administration and the recognition by these Sunni states that their security would improve against the ongoing threats they face from Turkey and Iran. Iran and its proxies interfere with Arab states while promoting their Shi’ite revolutionary ideology; likewise, Turkey pushes its Sunni revolutionary ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood throughout the region. Turkey and Iran look to overthrow the Sunni Arab states that do not align with them, such as Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The normalization deals between the...

Major American news media and the usual gang of Washington beltway clerks have tried to ignore into oblivion the Trump administration's diplomatic achievements in the Middle East. Their collective pay-no-heed is crooked and vile on so many levels. First and foremost, their corrupt collective silence sets conditions for more war, violence and death in the next four years. In the longer term, their corrupt silence is an information darkness that not only does a deep disservice to the American people but is also the dirty brush of dishonest history. American journalists once proclaimed their daily reports were the "first rough...

“It is easier to fight with someone you can present as your adversary.” That is what a senior member of Israel’s right-wing camp told me on Sunday following the announcement that then-Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden had won the presidential election. Biden, he explained, might be a veteran friend of Israel. But, he added, the former vice president would be easier to portray as the opposite if needed. “Trump gave Israel so much that it was harder to battle him on something like the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he said. “With Biden, that will be easier.” The conversation was...

Only to have their vote stolen

Israeli Settlements Minister Tzachi Hanegbi warns that a Biden presidency could ignite war in the Middle East, while Egypt fears Biden would aid the resurgence of Islamists in the region. Hanegbi pointed out that Biden has indicated he will resurrect America’s nuclear agreement with Iran which was cancelled by the Trump administration. For Israel, this would represent an existential threat to national security and drastically increase the chances of war with Tehran. “If Biden stays with that policy, there will, in the end, be a violent confrontation between Israel and Iran,” said Hanegbi. Meanwhile, other Middle Eastern countries such as...

Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden’s position on the Iran Deal could lead to war between Israel and Iran, Settlements Minister Tzachi Hanegbi warned on Wednesday night. “Biden has said openly for a long time that he will go back to the nuclear agreement,” Hanegbi said. “I see that as something that will lead to a confrontation between Israel and Iran.” Hanegbi said he is not concerned about a likely Biden victory on most fronts, including the area of settlements, but Iran is a glaring exception. The minister told Channel 13 News that he, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most...

The Israeli military launched a large-scale multi-front exercise on Sunday morning, simulating war with the Lebanese Hezbollah. Dubbed “Lethal Arrow,” the multi-day general staff drill will see the participation of thousands of troops from various branches of the military including the Air Force, Navy and the Ground Forces as well as from the Intelligence, Technological, Logistics and Cyber Defense directorates. The drill will see activity by IDF fighter jets, attack helicopters and other aircraft and naval vessels as well as physical maneuvers by ground forces. “The aim of the exercise is to improve the IDF’s offensive capabilities at all echelons...

In the debate last night, President Trump finally talked about the most important impact of his energy policy. Energy independence means much more than low prices at the gas pump and on your utility bill. The widespread use of natural gas is also great for the environment and has lowered our carbon emissions. These are both wonderful outcomes, but they don’t hold a candle to the impact on foreign policy. In ten seconds, President Trump gives the money quote: We are energy independent for the first time. We don’t need all of these countries that we had to fight wars...

With recent successful Middle East peace deals brokered by the Trump administration exposing years of failed Democrat policies, former Secretary of State John Kerry sought to claim his part in making the epic deals a reality, despite having railed against the possibility of such events when serving in the Obama administration. Kerry praised the Trump-brokered deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain in an interview with Rolling Stone last week, but insisted, “This has been in the making for a number of years now. I talked many times about reducing the sort of crazy hangover of...

Bernard Lewis, the preeminent Middle East researcher of the past few generations, said after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rose to power that Iran could turn into Turkey, and Turkey might morph into Iran. Lewis meant that after the mullah regime was ousted, Iran might fulfil the hope for moderation and contribution that were once hung on Turkey, whereas Erdogan could drive the modern and moderate Turkey he inherited into destructive radicalism in the style of the Islamic Revolution. For now, the threat from Ankara is materializing, but not the hopes for Tehran. In addition to the disaster he has...

There are few prophecies in the Bible that are both as perplexing, and yet, irrefutable, as the coming war of Gog and Magog.This 2,500-year-old prophecy had appeared all but impossible for at least 2,000 of those 2,500 years, primarily because, Israel did not exist as a sovereign nation. Furthermore, the geopolitical confederation described in Ezekiel 38-39, has never happened before historically. However, since the turn of the 20th-century, the evolving geopolitical landscape appeared to be unfolding in such a manner that seemed to be laying an undeniable (or inescapable) foundation for this particular prophecy to come to pass. Even heads...

Several people have asked for my opinion on Israel’s recent peace treaties with the UAE and Bahrain, so this is my effort to put it into writing. At the Sept. 15, 2020, signing ceremony, Israel’s Prime Min. Netanyahu said, “This peace will eventually expand to include other Arab states, and ultimately, it can end the Arab-Israel conflict once and for all.” These treaties have been called historic, a profound geopolitical shift, stunning, a fundamental reordering of the Middle East, etc. These treaties are not the 7-year covenant with many that will be confirmed by the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27) and triggers...

As we have always told you, everything in bible prophecy relates to Israel in general and to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in particular. Jerusalem in the crown jewel because it is the place where God has placed His Name, so naturally, it is also the place that Satan wants to take for his own. Luke 21 shows us the time when he will indeed get his hands on it for a little while, and the Abraham Accords is what’s going to make all that possible. “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I...

Analysts say Israeli agreements with Gulf states could lead to huge financial deals Egypt, Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority signed the charter of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) in a virtual ceremony hosted by Cairo on Tuesday. Natural gas exploration and the massive reserves found in the Eastern Mediterranean over the past several years mean that what began as an informal forum of Egypt, Cyprus, Israel and Greece is now a formal intergovernmental organization based in Cairo. Egypt is positioning itself as an energy and exporter hub in the region. The bloc seeks to promote...

Iran’s state television reported Tuesday night that a fire broke out at a large dairy factory near the capital, Tehran, the latest in a series of fires and explosions, some of which hit sensitive sites. Video clips showing the huge fire erupting around the two-story facility were posted on Twitter. The Mihan Dairy & Ice Cream company belongs to the Mihan Food Industries Group, located 22 km. From Tehran on Saveh Rd., was established in 1974 and today has a 65% market share for ice cream and 50% market share for UHT (Ultra-high-temperature processing) Milk.

Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate. Daniel 9:27 In 1993, a newly elected President Clinton hosted the Oslo Peace Accords in the White House Rose Garden. This was hailed to be the end of a six-year violent Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada. However, seven years later, the Oslo Peace Accords were in...

One, the “Treaty of Peace” between Israel and the UAE is scheduled to be signed at the White House on Sept. 15, 2020. This is not the “covenant with many” that will begin the Tribulation Period (Dan. 9:27), but it is not hard to find good Bible prophecy teachers that believe it will trigger progress toward that end. This historic “Treaty of Peace” has happened much faster than many people thought, and the “covenant with many” could happen much faster than many people think, especially because the Rapture will have taken place and the world will be in more turmoil...

Video has surfaced of former Secretary of State John Kerry adamantly insisting Middle East peace was not possible without the Palestinians. The comments, viewed in the prism of President Trump’s recent historic peace deal between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the Kingdom of Bahrain, led to mockery on social media . The Abraham Accords, which President Trump aptly described as “the dawn of a new Middle East,” were signed earlier this week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalif, and will involve establishing...

Call it a new 'Great Game' or war for hearts and minds, or just influence peddling, but Iran and Turkey are now engaged in greater efforts to expand their role in Africa. This comes as Russia and China are also extending networks on the continent. It is important to understand that this is in the context of the US generally reducing its global role and comes around 60 years after European colonialism was rolled back. The increasing footprint of Iran and Turkey have caused concern for other states that view their role as belligerent. That means that Gulf media is...