Iran Conducts Military Drills on Disputed Islands

Iran conducted a surprise military drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, just days after the United States began increasing its military presence in the area.

The Paramilitary Guard ran the exercises primarily on the islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb, which, along with Lesser Tunb, are controlled by Iran but claimed by the United Arab Emirates. These three islands are in a strategic location in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil trade.

Blow to the U.S.: Iranian Gen. Hossein Salami said during the drill, “Our nation is vigilant, and it gives harsh responses to all threats, complicated seditions, and secret scenarios and hostilities.”

The drill took place after the U.S. dispatched additional fighter jets, warships and Marines to the area in “response to recent attempts by Iran to threaten the free flow of commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters,” the Pentagon said. If this strait were to be blocked, global energy prices would skyrocket.

There is absolutely no need for the presence of America or its European or non-European allies in the region.
—Hossein Salami

Prophecy says: Modern-day Iran is identified in the Bible as “the king of the south” (Daniel 11:40). This end-time power is prophesied to adopt a “pushy” foreign policy. Iran has recently threatened to block oil shipments, which would spell economic disaster for the world. These military exercises show it has the ability to do just that.

The Bible reveals that Iran’s impending clash will not be with the U.S., but with Europe, identified in Daniel 11:40 as “the king of the north.” If Iran were to cut off strategic oil trade because of U.S. tension, Europe would certainly be provoked to retaliate.

To prove the identity of these nations and the looming collision between Iran and Europe, request a free copy of The King of the South, by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.