Iranian state media confirmed rumors on February 24 that Iran has produced uranium at roughly 84 percent purity. Four days later, the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) confirmed the same. It appears only traces of 84 percent uranium have been produced. But 90 percent is weapons grade. And despite Tehran’s assurances that its nuclear program is strictly civilian, the 60 percent levels Iran has been enriching for two years now have no civilian applications.

The same day of the iaea’s confirmation, Pentagon adviser Colin Kahl was at the United States House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing. When asked about Iran’s nuclear progress, Kahl stated he expected Iran to reach nuclear breakout in 12 days. This would put the expected breakout date at March 12.

We will see if Kahl’s 12 days estimation turns out to be true. But one of Iran’s allies is already stating it is willing to help Iran out. On March 5, Fox News cited anonymous foreign intelligence sources that Russia is preparing to return to Iran some of the uranium it has been storing since the 2015 nuclear deal went into effect. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (jcpoa), Iran was obliged to send some of its enriched uranium to Russia. The U.S. pulled out of the jcpoa in 2018, and a new deal is currently being negotiated by the Biden administration. If the negotiations collapse, Moscow has pledged to return all of Tehran’s enriched uranium.

The iaea is trying to calm tensions—without much success. iaea Director General Rafael Grossi visited Iran on March 3 and 4, resulting in a joint statement between the iaea and the Iranian government. Grossi claims to have secured a deal with Tehran agreeing to increased cooperation and monitoring from the iaea. Iran state media contradicted and rejected some of what Grossi said in a March 4 speech.

In his speech, Grossi stated, among other things, that “any military attack on a nuclear facility is outlawed, is out of the normative structures that we all abide by.” He said this in response to a question regarding Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites.

Israel, “the little Satan” that Tehran has vowed to “wipe off the map,” is taking these reports seriously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Grossi’s statement the following day. “Rafael Grossi just said in Tehran that an Israeli attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities is against the law,” he said in a cabinet meeting. He continued:

Against which law? Is Iran, which openly calls for our destruction, permitted to defend the destructive weapons that would slaughter us? Are we permitted to defend ourselves? It is clear that we are and it is clear that we will do so. I say this because nothing will deter us from defending our country and preventing our enemies from eliminating the state of the Jews.

Iran previously bragged that its missiles could reach Israel in 400 seconds. Israel is a nuclear state that has had to fight an existential war since independence in 1948. It’s not a stranger to preemptive attacks on its enemies if it felt its survival was on the line.

The threat of nuclear war in the Middle East is very, very real.

Some may find this kind of language alarmist, scaremongering or even petty clickbait. After all, many others have predicted that Iran would have had the bomb much earlier then now. Many may have thought this war would have happened years ago. Doomsday predictions have come and gone, and Israel is still on the map. The Middle East is still functioning. Some could think that headlines about Iran’s 84 percent enrichment will likewise pass away into irrelevancy.

Many are familiar with the children’s tale of the boy who cried wolf. A shepherd boy was getting bored with his job, so he shouted as loud as he could that a wolf was attacking his sheep. The men of the town scattered to defend the flock only to be annoyed when they found out there was no wolf. The boy was amused, so he repeated this several times to the same effect. Eventually, a real wolf did attack the sheep. The shepherd boy cried, but nobody believed him anymore. Nobody came to save the sheep—and the flock was decimated.

It won’t be long before the mullahs reach 90 percent. Iran already has ballistic missile technology that could deliver a nuclear payload. All that is left is for Iran to produce a large enough stockpile of uranium. Once Iran reaches 90 percent, this won’t take long.

Maybe some have treated news stories about Iran’s nuclear program like the boy who cried wolf. We keep hearing the same stories over and over again, and nothing happens. There’s no danger here, some may think.

These stories are no boy crying wolf. The wolves are real. And it looks like we won’t have to wait too long to find out what happens when the pack stops barking and starts biting.

News of a radical Islamist regime on the cusp of nuclear breakout isn’t supposed to be comforting. Perhaps that’s why many prefer to ignore this issue. The only way Iran’s nuclear march can be stopped is through a messy war with one of the most powerful militaries in the Middle East. Chaos and bloodshed in one form or another are guaranteed. The only question is how many lives would be lost and where the battlefields will be. From a purely physical, short-term perspective, the future looks quite depressing.

But does that mean there is no cause for hope?

There is one “news medium” that has predicted Iran’s “playing with nuclear fire” longer than anybody else. It may be a surprising news source to some. But it is unparalleled in the accuracy and timelessness of its coverage. I’m referring to the Holy Bible.

Jesus Christ gave a prophecy about world conditions at the very climax of man’s rule over the Earth. This prophecy is recorded in Matthew 24. Verses 21-22 give a key feature of this time: “[T]here will be sore misery then, such as has never been, from the beginning of the world till now—no and never shall be. Had not those days been cut short, not a soul would be saved alive …” (Moffatt translation).

Practically since man’s creation, man has been developing new ways to kill each other. But man never reached the point where he could snuff out every individual life on the planet—until nuclear weapons were invented.

The Prophet Daniel predicted this time of “sore misery” as well: “[A]t that time … there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time …” (Daniel 12:1). Daniel prophesies the geopolitical catalyst that brings mankind to this point: “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).

The context from the rest of the passage shows “the king of the north” to be fulfilled by the Roman Empire. In the end time, this prophecy is fulfilled by a united European bloc formed in the spirit of ancient Rome (please see here for more information). But who is “the king of the south”?

He is located south of Europe. He is “king”—the most powerful state in the region. He has a pushy, provocative foreign policy. And he’s not afraid to go after enemies bigger than himself.

This is what Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes in his newly updated booklet The King of the South:

When you carefully analyze world events and compare them to the end-time prophecies scattered throughout your Bible, you can piece together the truth about this modern king of the south—and who that king is.

More and more, it is becoming undeniably clear that the king of the south is Iran!

Since the early 1990s, we have believed and taught that Iran would lead the radical Islamist world and be the king of the south. Today in the Middle East, Iran is “king”!

In other words, the nightmarish cosmocidal prophecies of the Bible start with provocations from Iran. This implies that Iran will push more and more until a world war starts.

“Where is this nation’s pushiness leading?” Mr. Flurry asks. “It is leading inevitably to terrifying war with weapons of mass destruction. It can lead nowhere else. Iran is preparing itself to trigger a nuclear World War iii!”

These prophecies put Iran’s nuclear program into context. But where is the hope?

“Had not those days been cut short, not a soul would be saved alive; however, for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:22; Moffatt). “[A]nd there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered [rescued]” (Daniel 12:1).

The same prophecies that foretell doom and destruction also foretell that God is going to supernaturally force the destruction to stop—before mankind wipes himself out! Those days will be cut short! “As bad as this news is,” Mr. Flurry writes, “it leads to the best news this world has ever heard! … Jesus Christ will return in the very near future. And He will bring peace to the entire world!”

This is the ultimate hope in the midst of all the bad news. And it is a sure hope. As Iran edges closer and closer to developing a nuclear bomb, this is the perspective you need.

To learn more, please request a free copy of The King of the South. Also please watch Mr. Flurry’s latest Key of David episode, “King of the South (2023).”