While Europe is on edge with the escalation of nuclear threats due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, another layer of uncertainty has been added to the mix of global unrest in the Middle East with a warning from the United Nations’ top nuclear official that Iran has enough enriched uranium to build “several” nuclear weapons. According to Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has “amassed enough nuclear material for several nuclear weapons. . . . They have 70 kilograms (155 pounds) of uranium enriched at 60%.” When enriched to 90%, uranium is considered weapons-grade.
Though Iran does not have a nuclear weapon yet and Iranian officials have long maintained that Iran would not pursue enriching uranium to do so, experts noticed a shift when Iranian officials began speaking openly about the prospects of building an atomic weapon in mid-July of 2022. During an interview with Al Jazeera TV, Kamal Kharrazi, an advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni, said, “In a few days we were able to enrich uranium up to 60% and we can easily produce 90% enriched uranium. . . . Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb but there has been no decision by Iran to build one.”
Iran’s nuclear advancements are cause for deep concern for Israel because Iran has repeatedly declared its commitment to the total destruction of Israel. On October 26, 2005, at the “World Without Zionism” conference, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad quoted the founder of Iran’s Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, who said that Israel “must be wiped out from the map of the world.” Ahmadinejad then added, “And God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism.” In 2015, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took to Twitter and claimed “Increasing global hatred of #Israel is a sign of divine help.” An in response to a recent drone strike against a defense facility that Iran blamed on Israel, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) displayed a ballistic missile with the Hebrew words “Death to Israel” inscribed down the side.
In response to Iran’s ballistic missile message to Israel, retired Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran is the world’s largest state supporter of terrorism, an agent of destruction and violence in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas, and openly calls for the annihilation of Israel and the destruction of the United States of America. Iran is a threat to regional and global stability.”
Why are these developments important when it comes to understanding the events of the latter days? According to the book of Ezekiel, “Persia,” modern-day Iran, will be part of an alliance that will attack Israel “in the latter years” (Ezek. 38:5, 8). These nations will “devise an evil plan” against Israel and with overwhelming force “come like a storm. . . like a cloud covering the land” (Ezek. 38:9-10). But God will pour out His “blazing wrath” upon Israel’s foes and deliver her from certain destruction through a series of cataclysmic judgments (Ezek. 38:18-23). This divine deliverance will be in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3). So, it appears that the stage is being set for the events prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel 2,600 years ago. And through it all, God will reveal Himself to Israel and the many nations so that they will know that He is the Lord (Ezek. 38:23).
by Dr. Matthew Dodd | February 16, 2023