(Day 856) Swords of Iron – “Last minute maneuvers”

After the last round of negotiations stalled, people are asking: is that it? Are we heading straight to war now? What happens next?

Tehran released a video showing Iran’s foreign minister aboard an Iranian warship—a deliberate show of force. At the same time, the U.S. negotiating team posed with F-35 fighter jets in the background, signaling that this could escalate quickly.

At least 112 C-17 Globemaster heavy transport aircraft—about half of the U.S. fleet—are already in or moving toward the Middle East. One analyst compared the moment to the lead-up to the 1991 Gulf War, saying, “This is it.” Witkoff, Brad Cooper, and Naval Forces Central Command, along with Jared Kushner, visited the USS Abraham Lincoln—the same carrier Iran has been depicting as destroyed in AI-generated videos—to encourage the crews and thank them for standing in the gap for freedom, not just for the U.S., but for the world.

Meanwhile, large-scale protests are gearing up again. This is right at the wire. We are living through it in real time. At this point, there appears to be no realistic option other than striking Iranian assets to some degree. Talking alone isn’t going to resolve this—not after everything that’s happened. The United States, together with Israel, appears to be preparing for a long-term military campaign against Iran. That’s the reality. Don’t put your head in the sand.

There’s hope the Iranian regime could fall, but it’s also understood they will likely target Israel and any American base they can reach—and there are many. There are 19 major U.S. bases in the region, including the largest in Qatar, home to Central Command; the Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain; Camp Arifjan in Kuwait; and bases across Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and other Gulf countries. These are all expected targets, by Iran’s own statements.

In response, the U.S. has deployed extensive THAAD and Patriot systems to intercept ballistic, cruise, and other missiles. Aircraft from the USS Abraham Lincoln are expected to position off the coast of Oman, supported by allied forces. F-35s are stationed in Jordan, while British F-35s in Cyprus have stated they will not participate in offensive operations.

Iran possesses Shahed drones, including the 131 and 136 models.
These are intense, serious times—times for sobriety, prayer, unity, and resolve. And we remember Psalm 121:4: He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.