The Most Dangerous Nation on Earth? A Coming Attack Upon Iran?

By: John G. Weldon, Ph.D., DMin.; ©March 20, 2011

I have thought many times that Iran isn’t merely the most dangerous terrorist nation on earth — it is the most dangerous nation on earth, period. No other nation believes what Iran does in terms of its “end times” eschatology and no other nation is sacrificing so much to bring it about.

[T]he single greatest threat facing the world and my own country [is] the arming of Iran with nuclear weapons…. they’ve enriched enough material now almost for three nuclear bombs.… they’re building long-range ICBMS, not only to reach us…. this is not just our problem, this is the problem of Europe, of the United States…. we always reserve the right to defend ourselves.” “All of these [Israel, America, Europe] have to be dominated, obliterated, terrorized and [Iran is] actually true to their word.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu^[1]

“…we are getting very very close [to an Israeli attack upon Iran]… time is running out I believe.” — Best-selling author and Mideast prophecy expert, Joel Rosenberg^[2]

“[If Iran acquires] nuclear weapons, I think we could have Armageddon.” — Senator John McCain^[3]

“… we are engaged now in World War III…” — former Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff General Moshe Ya’alon^[4]

I have thought many times that Iran isn’t merely the most dangerous terrorist nation on earth — it is the most dangerous nation on earth, period. No other nation believes what Iran does in terms of its “end times” eschatology and no other nation is sacrificing so much to bring it about. For example, “Iran’s parliament (Majlis) Sunday, Nov. 8 [2009], granted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unlimited control of an estimated $30-50 billion of national treasure under legislation empowering him to cancel government subsidies on food and fuel. DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report that the president demanded the transfer of subsidy funding to the nation’s nuclear and missile programs, preparations for war and measures to offset international sanctions.”^[5]

Iran is governed today by a number of leaders who exhibit one or more of the following beliefs and/or characteristics. They: #have no love for rational thinking and may make critical decisions on the basis of pure, irrational superstition,

1. are influenced by dangerous occult practices and philosophy and
2. with radical Islam generally believe that in the interests of Islam, an offensive war is really a defensive war to protect and secure the global goals of Shi’a Islam — and that (at least for Iran) nuclear weapons can be freely used to bring about the goals of Islam and the return of the Muslim/Iranian savior, termed the Mahdi. In addition:
3. at least some of the Iranian leaders allegedly expect up to 60%-80% of the world to be annihilated in the effort to secure the global rule of peaceful Islam. (This would seem to involve the deaths of virtually all non-Muslims, leaving only Muslims alive on the Earth.) In addition,
4. some leaders in Iran think that the Iranian Savior, the Mahdi, a mere figment of the imagination, is currently in full control of Iran’s nuclear program. Finally, it appears that,
5. Ahmadinejhad’s faction comprises a combination of socialism and Nazi philosophy in the framework of Muslim fundamentalism.^[6]

Even if we tried, it would be difficult to find a more potent expression of Pandora’s Box. It seems evident that Ahmadinejad’s group desires that their Islamic and nuclear wrath be unleashed upon Israel, America and the West, and in fact most of the world, all in order to secure the global rule of (Shi’ite) Islam. And yet the leader of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood apparently has similar views of the Madhi, which may explain in part why Iran is so interested in assisting the Sunni terror group in Egypt and probably elsewhere.

Unfortunately, even after a devastating conventional attack by Israel (unless a pulse bomb were employed), Iran, potentially, could continue to remain the most dangerous nation on the planet — but not because of its copious history of murderous terrorist activities and trouble-making around the world ever since the Islamic revolution of 1979. It is because of what its leaders believe — in an ultimate sense — and what they expect to (not hope to) finally accomplish. Nuclear weapons gift wrap that expectation to perfection, and no one knows if Iran has unknown hidden nuclear sites that would be impervious to any attack by Israel, short of an all out nuclear attack, thus fulfilling the frightening Israeli “Samson Option.”

:<nowiki>[In the last days Jesus declared:] “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. …. There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:11, 25, 26-28, emphasis added)

No one should mistake Iranian intentions:

• “It is the mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to erase Israel from the map of the region.” —Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in January 2001
• “One bomb is enough to destroy Israel. . . . In due time the Islamic world will have a military nuclear device.” —Iranian president Rafsanjani in December 2001
• “Israel must be wiped off the map.” —Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on October 26, 2005
• “Like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation. . . . The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm . . . [because] its existence has harmed the dignity of Islamic nations.” —Ahmadinejad on April 14, 2006^[7]

But Iran believes the same about the West generally, e.g., remember, according to Iran (and much other Islam as well) Israel is only “the small Satan’ but America is “the great Satan.” For now, consider that many experts agree as to the ultimate danger of Iran. According to an interview with former CIA director Porter Goss, Iran is “an extraordinarily serious threat to US national security” with the seven leading (external) threats to America today being, in order:

1. Iran;
2. Al Qaeda and Usama bin Laden;
3. Pakistan;
4. Iraq;
5. Saudi Arabia (which e.g., permits the support of Al Qaeda, although it opposes Iran’s nuclear program; the kingdom’s official Muslim faith, Wahhabism, requires a particular worldview leading to particular actions, and such a worldview is anything but friendly to US interests, hence its support of radicalism and terrorism to the tune of some $4 billion/year (See Mitchell Bard, The Arab Lobby);
6. Hamas and Hezbollah and
7. energy security.^[8] (An even more obvious and serious internal US threat involves trillions and trillions in debt, well over $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities, out-of-control spending, and the Fed debasing the currency by monetizing the debt.^[9])

Daniel Ayalon, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister observed that: “Iran is the most serious threat today to the peace of the world and its security.”^[10] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further referred to Iran as “Unbelievably dangerous”; “… there’s no reason to believe that the militant Shiites, once they have atomic weapons, will not be suicidal.”^[11] Israel just recently seized major “game-changing” weapons bound for Gaza from Iran (e.g., surface to sea missles) and other nations have further seized nuclear components bound for Iran itself. Israel already allegedly patrols the Iranian coast with a small fleet of German-made submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles.^[12]

Besides being the center of terror in the world, there are a whole host of additional problems posed by the Iranian regime. To cite an example, with its vast oil wealth, Bahrain lies just off the coast of Saudi Arabia. It has been one of the key targets of Iran’s exportation of its Islamic Revolution, which places the functionality of the US fifth Fleet at risk. The fifth Fleet has its main base in Bahrain. Remember, Iran is a virtually 100% Shiite, not a Sunni Islamic nation. Although Bahrain has Sunni Arab rulers, it also has a 70-80% Shiite majority population. Should a Shiite government assume power, one of the first orders of business would be to get rid of the US fifth Fleet. This could result in a strategic shift in the balance of power in the Middle East.

Assuming continued Iranian leadership based in its unique Shi’ite eschatology, what power on earth is going to stop Iran from eventually securing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction? In regards to Iran and much else, the UN is largely corrupt and impotent; Europe is largely irrelevant or cowardly and America withers under a radical, inept, corrupt and anti-Israel Obama administration (See Note)^[13] that lacks the philosophical or moral will to intervene decisively. As far as can be outwardly determined, the Obama administration has no coherent strategy toward Iran, to the contrary, and its foreign-policy is in shambles. While there are clearly activities going on behind the scenes, they are occurring with a seriously deficient worldview that will tend to hamper success; only a military strike of sufficient power and/or a change of American and Iranian administrations could prevent a nuclear Iran. But President Obama is averse to such an attack, unless virtually forced into it somehow. Only the Israelis will remain a threat until there is a new and conservative American president willing to do what’s necessary, or a major ideological regime change in Iran. In my opinion, it would be much better for the US and the world if the US attacked Iran, but the Obama administration seems too blinded by its romantic idealism and simply too weak philosophically. Obama is so adverse to using force against Iran that America apparently hasn’t made the preparations it should have, something that would have significantly altered potential subsequent events. And with involvement in 3 wars (Iraq, Afghanistan, now Libya) and the situation in Japan, America currently seems in no position to attack Iran even if it wanted.

Whatever damage may be done to Iran’s nuclear program and facilities in an attack by Israel, Iran could still be able to build nuclear weapons, perhaps in just a few years, as experts have noted. This is also why we assume Iran could remain a nuclear threat to the world, especially coupled with Russian help. Again, if it can’t build its own weapons, it may be able to secure them by other means, such as from North Korea or Pakistan.

In 2009 we were at the point of no return, and that’s where we will remain until the current Iranian leaders and their specific Shiite eschatology are permanently removed from office – apart from divine intervention, this alone appears as the only valid solution to eventual massive war, even nuclear war. As Israeli vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon, the former Israeli Defense Forces’ chief of staff pointed out: “Without defeating the Iranian regime – not the people, but the regime – there is no way to bring peace and stability to the region.”^[14]

But unfortunately, Iranian eschatology isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the people largely support the Iranian regime^[15] (though many also oppose it). And even if the Iranian leadership were successfully removed, the same potential threat remains from Al Qaeda and other Muslim terrorist groups and potential new terrorist states, such as Egypt a year from now. Or, if Afghanistan were lost to the Taliban, a possibility, Pakistan would be at serious risk. Pakistan isn’t simply a nation in the world where both Al Qaeda and the Taliban are concentrated. Pakistan, with plenty of nuclear weapons, is now the headquarters for both Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Then there is also North Korea. Indeed North Africa and the Middle East generally are now increasingly unstable and at risk for Islamic revolution, and the world itself has entered a momentous period of change and instability, economic and otherwise. All this plays into Iranian hands. (E.g., Iranians believe the Madhi will return at a time when the Muslim world is increasingly unstable and chaotic. The current situation in the Mideast and North Africa could perhaps be seen by some Iranian leaders as the requisite “trigger” for proactively bringing about an Iranian Armageddon, assuming they already have nuclear bombs – and while unlikely, no one can be certain they don’t have them. As if to make a point, Ahmadinejad has recently declared that the Madhi himself is in control of the uprisings in North Africa and the Mideast.) Indeed, given the turmoil in the region, Israel might end up facing several Irans — look at what happened to Lebannon, and Saudi forces recently moved into Bahrain to prevent a possible Iranian-assisted Shi’ite takeover. It is also important to recognize that those who begin revolutions (if they aren’t stopped) usually don’t end them. After the uprisings are over, it’s usually the most organized and brutal who end up in power – and in some or many cases it could easily be the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood. For example, some of the original pro-democracy demonstrators in both Tunisia and Egypt are now complaining that their revolutions are being co-opted.

Nevertheless, it should also be pointed out that Iran and Israel are both key players in the biblical “end times,” and according to biblical prophecy both exist as functioning nations in the “last days” of Israel. This means that Iran, at least, can’t nuke Israel out of existence, nor the opposite. So if we are approaching the last days of Israel, it seems there won’t be an all out nuclear attack by either nation, regardless of obvious Iranian intentions. However some attack or maneuver by Israel is a virtual certainty, barring an improbable Iranian regime change. There could be a limited nuclear strike specifically upon the Iranian nuclear facilities and/or a conventional military attack. Or, perhaps a limited pulse bomb or additional cyber attacks (as with Stuxnet)/assassinations of scientists and other sabotage. Because of State suppression, it’s virtually impossible there could be a successful more or less Democratic uprising to overthrow the evil Iranian regime, especially since most of the people of Iran support the regime.

Indeed, because God Himself will protect Israel from annihilation through His faithfulness to the Abrahamic covenant (E.g., Genesis 15:6-20) and what is declared in the book of Romans (Romans 11:1-2, 11-32), something will occur — whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from securing and/or using atomic weapons against Israel to wipe out the Jewish state. To be sure, Iran is actually ripe for divine judgment, and God Himself could become the solution. Israel’s Iranian enemies will sooner or later meet the same fate as they unexpectedly met in the book of Esther. For all we know, a 9.0 earthquake (or larger) could destroy much of Iran just as it recently destroyed much of Japan. (See note)^[16]

However, if the return of Christ is perhaps many decades or longer in the future, then a more powerful nuclear strike or pulse bomb attack on Iran becomes conceivable. This could disable Iran for decades.

Regardless, the advice of the apostle Paul to the churches at Philippi and Ephesus remains appropriate:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

“Look carefully at how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Prov. 3:5-6)

Notes

1. ↑ “Piers Morgan Tonight: One-on-One with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” March 17, 2011; http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1103/17/pmt.01.html
2. ↑ Interview on The 700 Club, October 19, 2010
3. ↑ Cited in Joel C. Rosenberg, Epicenter 2.0: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future, p. XX
4. ↑ Ibid. pp. 342-43
5. ↑ http://www.debka.com
6. ↑ (See: Mehdi Khalaji, Apocalyptic Politics: On the Rationality of Iranian Policy; subscriber e-mail, February 18, 2011; Joel Rosenberg, Inside the Revolution: How the Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus Are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World (2009), p. 176; Epicenter 2.0)
7. ↑ Joel C Rosenberg, “Iran, Israel and the Threat of Annihilation: Modern Day lessons from the Book of Esther,” The Joshua Fund website, March 18, 2011:
8. ↑ Joel C. Rosenberg, Inside the Revolution, pp. 197-208.
9. ↑ See e.g., USDebtClock.org
10. ↑ Interview, Special Report with Bret Baier, September 28, 2009
11. ↑ Rosenberg, Epicenter, pp. 326-27
12. ↑ Richard Rhodes, “Counting Down to Nuclear War,” New York Times, March 4, 2011, Review of Ron Rosembaum, HOW THE END BEGINS: The Road to a Nuclear World War III; http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/books/review/Rhodes-t.html?_r=1&WT.mc_id=BK-PS-E-OB-PS-TXT-TH-ROS-1010-NA&WT.mc_ev=click
13. ↑ Scott Wheeler, “Obama Stimulating a Marxist Revolution Using Taxpayer Money;” http://townhall.com/columnists/ScottWheeler/2010/03/11/obama_stimulating_a_marxist_revolution_using_taxpayer_money; Dinesh D’Souza, The Roots of Obama’s Rage: Barack Obama and His Private War against the West; Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration’s War on America; Stanley Kurtz, Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism; Charles Gasparino, Bought and Paid for: the Unholy Alliance between Barack Obama and Wall Street; David Limbaugh, Crimes Against Liberty: an Indictment of President Barack Obama;Thomas Sowell, Dismantling America: and Other Controversial EssaysAaron Klein, The Manchurian President: Barack Obama’s Ties to Communists, Socialists and Other Anti-American Extremists and The Late Great State of Israel: How Enemies Within and Without Threaten the Jewish Nation’s Survival; TheObamaFile.com; The Obama Files: http://newzeal.blogspot.com. Also at: (http://investigatingobama.blogspot.com/2010/05/obama-files-from-trevor-loudons-new.html); Ken Blackwell, Ken Klukowski, The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency; David Freddoso, The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate; Alex Jones, The Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack Obama (Documentary); Michelle Malkin, Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats Crooks and Cronies; Newt Gingrich, To Save America: Stopping Obama’s Secular-Socialist Machine; Sally C. Pipes, The Truth About Obamacare; M. Stefan Strozier (Editor), et., al, Barack Obama: Critical Essays by World Audience Authors; Stephen Moore, How Barack Obama is Bankrupting the U.S. Economy; Michael Ledeen, Obama’s Betrayal of Israel; Laura Ingram, The Obama Diaries; David Gratzer, Why Obama’s Government Takeover of Health Care Will Be a Disaster; John Fund, How the Obama Administration Threatens to Undermine Our Elections; Christopher C. Horner, Power Grab: How Obama’s Green Policies Will Steal Your Freedom and Bankrupt America; www.obamavconstitution.com; Paul Kengor, DUPES: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century (600 pp.); Michael Savage, Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama’s Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security; Dick Morris, Fleeced; F. A. Hayek, The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek); Jerome R. Corsi, The Obama Nation; Timothy P. Carney Obamanomics: How Barack Obama Is Bankrupting You And Enriching His Wall Street Friends, Corporate Lobbyists, And Union Bosses; Marc Thiessen, Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama Is Inviting the Next Attack; Tommy Newberry, The War on Success: How the Obama Agenda is Shattering the American Dream; Peter Schweizer, Architects of Ruin; Arthur C. Brooks, The Battle: How the Fight Between Free: Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America’s Future; Brad O’Leary, The Audacity of Deceit: Barack Obama’s War on American Values; Webster Griffin Tarpley, Obama – The Postmodern Coup; Jason Mattera, Obama Zombies — How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation; James Simpson, “Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis,” American Thinker, September 28, 2008. (http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/09/barack_obama_and_the_strategy.html)
14. ↑ November 13, 2009 address to some 300 evangelical Christians in the Holy Land; JoelRosenberg.org
15. ↑ George Friedman of Stratfor Global Intelligence, Interview, The O’Reilly Factor, February 21, 2011
16. ↑ America, unfortunately, is also ripe for a more severe type of divine judgment than that of the “soft” ‘turning over’ of Romans 1 that she has been experiencing for some five decades now. This will be the subject of a future article or e-booklet. Indeed, even the governor of Tokyo commented that the Japan disasters were “punishment from heaven” for being too greedy. (Fox News scroll, March 13, 2011). But I suspect there was also more involved, given Japan’s anti-Israel stance in light of Genesis 12:3, widespread atheism/secularism, pagan religion and other factors. Nevertheless, when we discuss the concept of divine judgment we should realize that the Bible teaches that God’s judgments are in the earth every day (“God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day,” Psalm 7:11, Cf. 66:7; 105:7; Isaiah 24:5-6; Romans 1:18), and further that this is something good because: 1) it means that much more justice occurs in this life than many may realize – in the long run, no one ever gets away with anything; 2) because judgment also often leads to repentance, as in the recurring case of Israel historically, and 3) it also prevents much additional sin and evil because people become fearful of the consequences. (“When your judgments come upon the earth, [then] the people of the world learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9; Cf. Galatians 6:7) It must also be acknowledged that it is impossible for God to ever be cruel in His judgments precisely because He is infinitely just – cruelty and perfect justice are inherently incompatible, i.e., unable to coexist. Thus, God’s judgment is always right and always based on truth. (2 Thessalonians 1:5; Romans 2:2) As finite and fallen humans we don’t see, let alone understand, one trillionth of the big picture, but God does. His knowledge and will are both infinite and perfect, so we can trust His judgment even when we don’t have all the information we might like. Further, we should not assume that judgment necessarily indicates that people are more guilty, as Jesus pointed out in his discussion of those on whom the tower of Siloam fell. “Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 18:4-5) Further, as one of our founding fathers once pointed out, because nations (and cities, Jude 1:7) cannot be judged in the next life, they therefore must be judged in this one. Finally, it does seem that God often, and perhaps always, brings mercy after judgment, at least in various degrees and ways in this life, if not the next. God is always as merciful as He is just.