The United States, in alliance with Israel, has launched a strategic strike against Iran.
According to reports from Sky News and the BBC, this operation aims to dismantle the entire
nuclear infrastructure that Iran has been developing for more than thirty years. Notably, Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the fundamental purpose of this mission is
to bring an end to the current regime—the Islamic Republic of Iran. This political system was
founded by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the supreme cleric and political leader who headed
the state from 1979 until his death on June 3, 1989. He was succeeded by the supreme leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who governed from Tehran. As the capital city, Tehran houses 14
million residents, a significant portion of Iran’s total population of 93 million.
On Saturday, February 28, President Donald Trump explained the rationale behind the
operation, providing a historical analysis of Iran’s state-sponsored terror and the escalating
threat posed by its nuclear ambitions. He announced that Iran would never be permitted to
possess nuclear weapons.

For scholars of biblical eschatology, it is understood that the United States is not the final actor
in the historical timeline leading to the reign of Jesus. Nevertheless, this climate of wars and
rumours of wars serves as a critical sign within the biblical process of redemption. In this
context, it is wise to reflect on the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-12)—a warning
for the church to be prepared as the eschatological events unfold.
Today, Islamic nations have grown to over two billion inhabitants, representing roughly 25%
of the global population. The Persian Empire with a distinct identity from the Arab world was
founded in 550 BC by Cyrus the Great, who successfully unified the Medes and Persians. By
538 BC, he had incorporated Babylon and Asia Minor, establishing the first global superpower
with territories stretching from India to Egypt and the borders of Greece. Following prolonged
conflicts with the Greeks, the Persians were eventually defeated by Alexander the Great in
330 BC, giving rise to the Greek Empire which dominated the region until it was eventually
superseded by the Roman Empire, a power with which the Persians would maintain
continuous conflict for centuries.

The Roman Empire was formally established in 27 BC with the rise of Octavian, who was
granted the title “Augustus”, and the Western Roman Empire lasted until 476 BC, with
Romulus Augustus, and the Easter Roman Empire (more known as the Byzantine Empire)
lasted until the 15th Century (1453).
Culturally, the Romans practiced a polytheistic religion heavily influenced by the Greeks. In
contrast, the Persians had a dualistic faith defined by the struggle between good and evil. This
belief system was gradually replaced by Islam from the 7th century AD onward. Today, Iran
exists as a radical Islamic political state, where religious doctrine and political governance are
fundamentally intertwined.

One perspective within the current global order maintains that the primary objective is to
liberate the Iranian population from totalitarian oppression and eliminate the threat of Iran
becoming a nuclear-armed state. Conversely, another viewpoint suggests that international
law has reached a point of collapse, having failed to dissuade the Iranian government from
halting its nuclear program and the production of enriched uranium.
While certain specific claims regarding weaponization remain unverified by the United
Nations, there is a long history of attempts at global monitoring of enriched uranium
production —a critical precursor to manufacturing nuclear weapons. Currently, the primary
producers of enriched uranium include Russia, China, France, the United States, the
Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, and Japan. Countries with nuclear
weapons are: Russia, the USA, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and
North Korea.

Will the Persian Empire rise again? Let us remember that history is cyclical and tends to repeat
or innovate upon past historical events. History is never static, but rather develops forward
with accelerated dynamism in global geopolitics, which also includes the biblical processes of
redemption in the midst of history.
What about the theory of a restored Roman Empire? For many years, some theologians and
biblical scholars have suggested the presence of a restored Roman Empire, and that this system
will govern the end times, that is, as part of the eschatological process of the end. The valuable
aspect of this interpretation is that a global system of governance will indeed need to be
implemented. The new trend is to speak of a global economic system to govern the world.

An example of this is the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where global
leaders meet to coordinate strategic policy. This is nothing new; they have been meeting since
the forum was founded on January 24, 1971, by the German engineer Klaus Schwab. The
purpose is to achieve non-governmental international influence on the global economy. That
is to say, it does not arise from state policy, but from a philosophy of independent, impartial,
humane, and neutral thought, with an influence on the economics of development and its
long-term sustainability.

Are we standing at the dawn of a global conflict? The answer is both yes and no. From a
geopolitical standpoint, the answer leans toward ‘yes’; Iran has evolved into a formidable
political and religious force, now ranking among the world’s top twenty powers with
significant military reach. However, from a theological perspective, the answer remains ‘not
yet.’ We find hope in the words of Jesus regarding the end times: though there will be ‘wars
and rumours of wars’ and the rise of false prophets, he clarifies that ‘the end is not yet’ (Mt.
24:6, 24). Ultimately, while history must one day reach its consummation, that transition
serves only as theological signs to the establishment of Jesus’ eternal Kingdom.
The church of Christ can be very certain that Jesus is with his church every day until the end
of the world.