Will 2012 Be the Year Israel Attacks Iran?
Iran believes that an Israeli attack may occur in 2012. Sources inside the Persian state say that insiders surrounding Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei truly believes an attack will be launched on Iran before the presidential election. Therefore, the regime is preparing for that very real possibility.
This thinking coincides with that of the British officials who announced Israel will attack Iran—soon! Their declaration, made in mid-November, stated that the Jewish nation could even hit Iran by Christmas, though we now know that date came and passed without incident. However, the Brits have not changed their minds on the belief that Israel's military strike will occur, though they now believe it will happen in 2012.
In addition, the militaries of Israel and the U.S. are planning to prepare for a counterattack on Iran. They will prep by conducting the missile defense exercise "Austere Challenge 12," designed to improve defense systems and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli forces. In addition, this largest-ever joint drill by the two countries will be held to show Iranian leadership it should not think of messing with Israel.
It is interesting that with all of the talk about this possibility of a military strike, Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz. One reason the terrorist regime is making these threats is because of fear of an Israeli attack. Leaders in Iran are hoping to make the Jewish nation think twice, and they think the U.S. will intervene to stop Israel for fear of the ramifications of shutting down the strait.
Another reason for the threats is due to Iran feeling some heat from sanctions. For example, Iran's currency hit an all-time low, as a result of President Obama signing the bill Congress passed to place sanctions on the central bank of Iran. The rial (Iran's currency) declined by 12% on Monday, and it has lost 35% of its value since September. Furthermore, housing prices have risen 20 percent in the past few weeks, and private companies and importers say they are in deep trouble.
The economic problems in Iran have brought a bleak mood as Iranian leadership prepares for prolonged hardship. But Iran has other problems coming down on the regime, such as the disintegration of its chief ally, Syria. Furthermore, Hamas appears to be moving from its tight connection with the Syria-Iranian partnership toward one with Turkey or Egypt.
However, while sanctions have had some detrimental impact on Iran, they have not motivated the Iranian regime to halt its quest for nuclear weapons. This sets the stage for a necessary attack on Iran by Israel. This attack is necessary, because, otherwise, the terrorist regime will not only develop nuclear weapons, but it will likely use them on the Jewish nation.
An Israeli military strike could also be used by God to provide Israel to be the hero among Arab states. After all, Arab states would love for Israel to attack Iran, with the hope that the current regime would come down. (Saudi Arabia, for example, has invited Israel to use its air space for an attack.) This is because they fear Iran and its quest for nuclear weapons. This is why, for example, the United Arab Emirates, which resides near Iran, is purchasing a THAAD missile defense system for $3.48 billion as part of a massive buildup of defense technology among friendly Mideast nations near Iran. (The U.S. will sell the UAE the missile defense system for protection against Iran.)
So, while sanctions and other problems have not motivated Iran to give up its nuclear quest, those issues could prepare for the eventual overthrow of the Iranian regime. With an already problematic economy and an isolated Iran, an Israeli strike could create the environment for the Iranian opposition movement to take down the regime. That would create a significant domino effect in the Middle East, preparing the way for the end-times treaty with Israel and fulfillment of passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:3, which, in connection with the treaty, predicts that world leaders will believe they have achieved "peace and security." (There is no way leaders could believe that with a nuclear-armed Iran on the prowl.)
If Israel does launch an attack, and it results in the overthrow of the Iranian government, leaders of Arab states would likely be willing to participate with Israel in a regional treaty—and not only co-sign the treaty, but such gratitude would result in permitting the Jewish nation to rebuild the temple on the Temple Mount—fulfilling Bible prophecy (see Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; etc.).
It does appear that God is aligning the actors on the stage—and directing their moves—to prepare for fulfillment of His end-times plan. If so, we could witness a very exciting 2012!
[John Claeys serves as Executive Director of John Claeys Ministries through writing, speaking, and radio ministries and is the author of Apocalypse 2012: The Ticking of the End Time Clock—What Does the Bible Say?, a riveting look of the events leading up to the return of Christ. See https://johnclaeys.com/ for more information.]
