Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed three and wounded six in an attack on the United Arab Emirates last week. Officials initially believed the attack was from “small flying objects, possibly belonging to drones,” the Financial Times reported on January 19. But further investigations indicate a much larger attack. The three casualties worked at a state oil company facility. The attack also started a fire at the U.A.E.’s international airport.

“Several attacks—a combination of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones—targeted civilian sites in the U.A.E.,” Yousef al-Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates ambassador in Washington confirmed. “Several were intercepted” by defense systems, but “a few of them” were not, he added. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. They hailed the “successful military operation” that targeted “sensitive Emirati facilities.”

After Houthi rebels ousted the Yemeni government and seized control in 2015, Saudi Arabia formed an Arab coalition, with the U.A.E. as its main partner. The resulting conflict has led to the death of over 130,000 people, both civilians and fighters. But given the fact that Saudi Arabia started and led the anti-Houthi coalition, most Houthi attacks have been aimed at Saudi Arabia. Even outside of Yemen, the Saudis have been the target of hundreds of missile and drone strikes.

But now it appears the Houthis are specifically targeting the U.A.E. as well. Earlier this month, they hijacked a U.A.E.-flagged cargo ship off the coast of Yemen. And last week’s attack was the first on the U.A.E. itself.

The U.A.E. is the dominant Middle Eastern hub for tourism, trade and finance. As the second wealthiest Arab nation after Qatar, its thousands of troops and vast economic resources make it a critical partner in the coalition with Saudi Arabia. But the recent attack has exposed some vulnerabilities.

“This [attack] is the greatest damage to the reputation of the U.A.E. because they have always portrayed themselves as a safe and secure country to do business,” said Dr. Andreas Krieg, assistant professor at the Defense Studies Department at King’s College London. “Despite claiming to have the most sophisticated air defenses in the region, a drone from Yemen has landed at a strategic site in Abu Dhabi.” Abu Dhabi is downplaying the airport damage, but that is its main, international airport, the home of Etihad Airways. It’s an area of international business and vital transit. Last week’s attack was more than a threat to national security; it was a threat against the national economy.

And although the Houthis carried out the attack, the weapons they used came from Iran.

In December, Iran tested its Shahed 136 drones for the first time in a public military drill. Dubbed the “suicide drone,” they fly to their target and self-destruct. Soon after this test, Tehran placed some of the drones in Yemen.

This was likely a strategic masterstroke by Iran.

The drones have a range of about 1,200 miles—roughly the distance between Iran and Israel. The distance between Yemen and the U.A.E. is about 800 miles. What better way to test out their new kamikaze drones intended for Israel than by applying pressure on Abu Dhabi at the same time? The U.A.E. has been providing critical support to Yemeni forces for over two years. Earlier this month, they reclaimed an entire province from the Houthis. Enough victories could lead to a reversal of the 2015 ousting of the Yemeni government. Such an outcome would be unconscionable for Iran. So it decided to push back.

Iranian media say Tehran’s goal is to neutralize the U.A.E., which it claims is responsible for the “killing of innocent civilians.” In reality, Iran has been sponsoring the Houthi rebels for its own agenda.

The Houthis have access to sophisticated drones, cruise and ballistic missiles because of Iran. Iran has designs to control trade through the Middle East. Therefore, supporting and controlling the Houthi rebels—who effectively control Yemen—is crucial.

The Bab el-Mandeb strait, one of the world’s most important oil choke points, is off the southwestern coast of Yemen. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 3.8 billion barrels of oil and refined petroleum products pass through Bab el-Mandeb a day on their way to Europe, Asia and the U.S.

That’s why Iran is so irked by the U.A.E.’s efforts to thwart its plans. That’s why Iran is supplying the Houthis with the means to threaten Abu Dhabi. These Houthi attacks are a warning from Iran, saying, Our goal is to dominate global trade. Stay out of our way, or we’ll dominate you.

Iran’s pushy strategy indicates that if the Houthis completely take over Yemen, Iran could seriously threaten the West and, most immediately, Europe. And it looks like Europe will have to deal with Iran without America’s help.

The U.A.E. has requested that the United States reinstate the Houthis as a terrorist group. This was the case under President Donald Trump, but the Biden administration lifted the designation less than a month after taking office. A few months after that, it shamefully abandoned Afghanistan. Europe can no longer rely on the U.S.

After the Houthis overthrew the government in 2015, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote: “Now that Iran controls Yemen, it can virtually close or open this spigot on Middle East oil bound for Europe. And Europe is taking notice!”

These events will ultimately be compounded by an increasingly pushy Iran. Europe will be forced to take matters into its own hands. Bible prophecy indicates as much.

“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over” (Daniel 11:40). This is a prophecy for the time we are living in now. It talks about a pushy regime to the south threatening the king of the north. This regime’s pushy strategy is going to be its downfall.

This is all referring to an Iran-led radical Islam clashing with a German-led Europe. With the United States unable to stand up to Iran, the European king of the north will. And it will have help from the nations Iran is antagonizing right now.

Germany has given over $1 billion worth of arms exports to the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels. In 2021, it approved over $440 million in weapons sales to the U.A.E., Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan and Bahrain. Over the years, Germany and other European countries have also invested in Algeria, Egypt, Mali, Somalia and South Sudan, among others.

Altogether, these countries surround Iran.

In “Germany’s Secret Strategy to Defeat Iran,” Mr. Flurry wrote: “Look at the map—Iran and its allies are in the middle of a deadly circle! … Why is Germany so involved, stretching over the Middle East and much of the world? It is preparing for a whirlwind of destruction. … Germany has surrounded Iran and radical Islam, just as God prophesied it would. Soon that whirlwind is going to start rotating and whirling against the king of the south like a well-armed—probably nuclear-armed—vortex!”

All these events are connected. They are rooted in Bible prophecy. Most news sites simply report on the facts of the story, but only the Trumpet shows where it is all leading: nuclear World War iii. But we also show how God is in complete control. He made these prophecies, and He is working out a master plan.

To fully understand what is happening in the Middle East and how God is directing it all, please request our free booklet The King of the South, by Gerald Flurry.