Hezbollah threatened Israel with all-out war yesterday—and included Europe in the threat.

On June 13, the terrorist group fired 150 rockets and 30 drones in one of its biggest attacks on Israel since October 7. The attacks continued this week. Nearly 13,000 acres in northern Israel have been burned as a result of these attacks.

Israel’s Northern Command responded by approving plans to invade Lebanon and deal with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah delivered a televised addressed in which he promised “there will be no place safe from our missiles and our drones” in Israel if it comes to war. Hezbollah will fight with “no rules” and “no ceilings.”

Hezbollah is estimated to have over 150,000 missiles, so these are not empty threats.

But Nasrallah also brought Cyprus into the crosshairs. “Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance will deal with it as part of the war,” he warned.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides responded by denying any involvement in the conflict. “Such statements are not pleasant, but they do not reflect reality,” he said. “Cyprus is not participating in any military engagements.”

But Cyprus is not the only one threatened here. Cyprus is not a part of nato, so war with Cyprus would not automatically mean war with the United States. But it is a member of the European Union, which also has a mutual defense agreement. European External Action Service spokesman Peter Stano confirmed that “any threat against one of our member states is a threat against the European Union, so in this sense the European Union fully supports Cyprus.”

Attacking Cyprus would risk war with France, Germany and the United Kingdom, which although not part of the EU, has military bases on the island.

Why would Hezbollah make such a brazen threat against these countries?

Perhaps because German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has taught it that it has nothing to be afraid of.

Shortly after the October 7 massacre, Scholz warned that “Hezbollah must not intervene in the conflict.” Initially Hezbollah’s response was muted. But it has ramped up its attacks, and Germany has not retaliated.

Hezbollah is learning something the Germans are very familiar with: Scholz doesn’t follow through. The Germans have even invented a new word: scholzing—to promise something and not deliver.

Hezbollah is showing the world it is no longer afraid of Germany. It knows Germany is the financial powerhouse of the EU and has growing military clout. France will not go to war without Germany—and Britain will not go it alone. Scholz has convinced them that Germany will not fight.

This will lead to more pushes against Germany from Hezbollah and its Iranian backers.

One of our long-standing forecasts revolves around exactly this. Daniel 11:40 prophesies of an end-time “king of the south” that “pushes” against “the king of the north.” The Hebrew word used for “push” indicates a violent attack, like a bull striking with its horns.

This king of the south is radical Islam led by Iran. It will provoke a European power led by Germany.

In Hezbollah’s threats we’re seeing something very like this push.

But Germany won’t “scholz” forever. Scholz’s coalition is doing horribly in the polls. Germans want a much stronger leader, and they’ll soon get him.

When Iran pushes this new leader, it will quickly realize its mistake. He will strike back hard “with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships”—an army and naval strike.

Cyprus is already a key logistical hub for Germany to project power in the Middle East.

“[Cyprus] is a key strategic island,” wrote Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in the aftermath of Hamas’s October 7 attack. “Any country that wants to move military vehicles, planes and troops into the Middle East must either negotiate with or conquer a number of nations in order to travel over land and air—or go by sea and deal with just one small nation, Cyprus.”

During its financial crisis, Cyprus was bailed out by Germany, which established political control over the island. Some in Germany were thinking ahead, envisioning a time when they would need such a critical base.

In threatening Cyprus, Nasrallah may have been doing more than showing he no longer fears Germany. He may have been threatening Germany: Keep out of the Middle East—don’t use Cyprus as a base to project power, or you’ll come within range of our missiles, and we will not be afraid to use them!

Scholz is not a strong leader, and he may let this threat go. But Germany’s strongman is waiting in the wings. He has to be concerned about this. So are many others. These kinds of threats may hasten the arrival of the strongman, which will be Iran’s undoing.

Daniel 11 was written thousands of years ago, yet it gives the vital overview to all these events playing out on the daily news. To understand the Middle East, you must understand this chapter. It shows what Germany is doing to prepare for a clash with Iran. But most importantly, it reveals God’s role in these events and where they are leading. Our free booklet The King of the South will explain it all to you.