The crisis in the Red Sea has grown much worse since I wrote “The Battle Over the Red Sea” in our February issue. Today, it looks like it could well turn into a bloody war.

Houthi terrorists backed by Iran are terrorizing commercial ships transiting the Red Sea. Europe is most affected and has sent warships into the area. This brings them into direct confrontation with Iran—which, incidentally, is on the cusp of getting multiple nuclear bombs.

This could lead to the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy I have drawn attention to for decades.

Daniel 11:40 reads, “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.”

Notice: This is a prophecy for “the time of the end.” The context of Daniel 11 revolves around Jerusalem. The Jewish people currently rule over this city, but others want control.

Since the 1990s, I have identified the king of the south as radical Islam, led by Iran. This prophecy reveals that radical Islam will push at the king of the north—a German-led European empire—and that the Europeans will counterattack and destroy Iran and take their allies captive. (Read more about this in my booklet The King of the South.)

No one else has made such a forecast based on this passage. And to most observers, a clash between Iran and Germany has seemed doubtful—until now.

Europe’s Response

A paper from the European Parliament, “Maritime Security: Situation in the Red Sea and EU Response,” clearly identifies Iran as the power behind the terrorists. It also outlines the risks to Europe. It states:

The Houthis, who are a part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” (a network of Iranian proxies and allies in the Middle East coordinated by the Iranian Quds Force), have vowed to continue attacks on commercial ships “with Israeli interests” until the war in Gaza ends. … Iran has deployed a warship to the Red Sea, praised the Houthis for “supporting Palestinians and standing up to Israel,” and is allegedly aiding them by providing intelligence and weapons. …

With 20 percent of global container traffic and 40 percent of Asia-Europe trade transiting the Red Sea (and the adjacent Suez Canal), it is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. …

On 12 January 2024, the [United States] and the [United Kingdom], supported by other allied nations, started direct strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, which failed to reduce Houthi attacks on commercial shipping. On 18 February 2024, Houthi missiles struck a UK-owned cargo ship, which became the first ship to be sunk by Houthi attacks.

Europe doesn’t trust the U.S. and the UK to handle the problem. On February 19, it started its own mission, called eunavfor Operation aspides.

The mission’s area of operations includes a large part of the northwestern Indian Ocean, specifically the main sea between the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Italian, German, Belgian, French and Greek navies have contributed.

Germany in particular is upset and angry over the economic loss caused by Iran. All its commercial ships had to detour around Africa. For this reason alone, this could become the big push of Daniel 11:40. We don’t know yet, but this certainly looks like something that could fit that prophetic description in a spectacular way. We need to watch it closely.

In addition, there is another trend that could suddenly, drastically heighten the crisis.

Nuclear Weapons

In the next few days or weeks or months, Iran is expected to achieve nuclear capability and finish production on seven nuclear bombs!

Many analysts have warned that Iran becoming a nuclear power poses a particular danger. In the mullahs’ religious view, their version of the Messiah will hasten his return in the event of a catastrophic war, even if Iran provokes it.

This ideology has been inspiring suicide bombers around the world. This is a most unusual zeal for violence unknown to most other cultures. These people are willing to kill themselves even if their death only takes a few other lives. Don’t you think they would much rather use nuclear bombs and cause far greater havoc?

No nation on Earth thinks like Iran and would be so eager to use nuclear bombs!

Europe is well acquainted with terrorism, and its nations are within range of Iranian missiles. This means that when Iran is ready to unleash nuclear weapons on Israel, it could also fire them on Europe.

You can understand the alarmingly high stakes of Europe’s mission in the Middle East!

Humanity’s number one problem today is human survival! Yet almost none of the leaders in the Western world even talk about this horrific potential. We must confront this problem—and there is a solution. How many people are truly willing to consider it?

German Ambition

The real power in the European Union is Germany. Frankly, Germany is using the union as a cover for its own ambitions. If this situation escalates into a war, it will effectively be Germany against Iran.

Before the EU gave approval, Germany had already sent a frigate to station near the Red Sea to await deployment. Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack explained:

As we are going into a fierce battle, only a ship that can assert itself with its weaponry comes into question, one whose crew is 100 percent trained to deal with the threat. The Hessen frigate we have selected is prepared for this. It is our gold standard, so to speak.

Kaack called this “the most serious deployment of a German naval unit for many decades.”

Capt. Volker Kübsch called the threat “no longer abstract; it is very concrete and consists of a variety of weapons.”

N-TV.de commented: “[W]ith long-range radar systems and weapon systems that can engage targets both close by and up to 160 kilometers away, there is no ship in the Navy that is better prepared for such a mission.”

The frigate has 240 sailors, and it is now operating in the Red Sea, defending commercial ships against the Houthis—proxies of Iran. In the first few days, the frigate made news for misfiring missiles. Still, the specialist journal MarineForum noted that the Hessen is “one of the best we have in our inventory—fully equipped, ammunitioned and manned at the highest possible level of training. What the ship and crew lack is war experience.”

Germany has a high-class military industry; it just lacks war experience. But don’t be fooled: Germany is gaining more and more such experience and is learning very quickly.

Germany led the way into the Red Sea, and Europe followed. Germany is preparing for war! This is serious.

Granted, one frigate certainly cannot take on Iran alone. Yet consider that last year’s “Steadfast Noon” exercises were held over Italy, Croatia and the Mediterranean Sea—away from Russia but closer to the Middle East. Thirteen nato members participated, including Germany. These exercises were about preparing to use American nuclear weapons! If the threat of nuclear war rises, Germany and Italy could use these bombs against Iran! (Our booklet The King of the South explains this coming clash and shows the role nuclear bombs could play in it.)

Germany is preparing for nuclear war, and Iran certainly is as well. Iran is pushing. Remember, the Houthi puppets are directed by Iran, and Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons! Will this be the big push that triggers far greater wars? It certainly could be. Really, right now it looks to me like it is. We will have to see.

Rising Provocations

When Europe moved into the Red Sea, the Houthis responded boldly. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a senior member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, wrote on social media on February 20: “Europeans, do not play with fire. Take a lesson from Britain.” He warned the EU against “supporting the American devil.”

Clearly the Houthis are speaking for Iran!

The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon says the word “push” in Daniel 11 means to strike, or to wage war. This is a violent word. Could the Houthis’ attacks be part of that push?

Iran is acting more and more violent. Ultimately, Germany’s response will be even more violent: It will take out Iran completely! This will shock the world! But when most people finally wake up to the danger, it will be too late physically for the majority of humanity. They will be caught in the most violent war in history!

We could soon see the very trigger that starts this war! This should give us extreme urgency.

Notice where the conflict leads. After conquering the king of the south, this European power “shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown …. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps” (verse 41-43).

Those nations allied with Iran will fall with it. Today, Libya is already allied with Iran, and we prophesied that before it happened. But this prophecy shows that Ethiopia and Egypt are going to also become allied to Iran, and we expect that to happen shortly. Ethiopia is right on the southern part of the Red Sea; you can see why Iran would want to add it into this alliance to gain greater control over that area.

Iran also tried to get Sudan to give it a naval base, but Sudan wouldn’t comply. Still, the move made even clearer exactly what Iran is attempting to do: Sudan is also right there on the Red Sea.

So again, you see how serious this situation is growing. What we are seeing certainly could be that big push, and it could come soon. I am not stating that definitely because I don’t know, but we must be aware of events in this world if we are to understand Bible prophecy. The threat of nuclear war makes it all the more important that we take this seriously.

If Iran isn’t stopped, this world is about to become far more dangerous. And this prophecy shows that it will be stopped—but even that will not turn out well because the power that is taking over has its own deadly ambitions!

Watch the Red Sea closely to see whether this escalates into a full-blown fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy!