The stage is set, the lines have been drawn, Trump’s red line in the sand, looking for a deal but continuing to say “things will go bad for them (Iran) very bad” without a deal. An amazing arsenal of weaponry has been assembled. Why the wait? No one but Trump knows for sure, but best guess is that the deal maker wants to be remembered as a peace maker. Something’s deals wont work because the one you try to make a deal with, just won’t deal.
To be blunt, after all the bravado of President Trump,and without some significant military action or an iron clad enforceable deal with Iran, Trump will lose all credibility. Remember he encouraged the protestors in Iran over a month ago to keep fighting, that help was on the way. Since then tens of thousands have been killed and imprisoned. It has gone from bad to worse. Why all the bravado from Iran, especially after the 12 day war of last summer?
Iran’s Apocalyptic Islamic Ideology is why the cowards in Tehran continue to demand and bluff and seemingly desire a confrontation with two superior nations.
One very important factor is being overlooked in dealing with Iran, a Shiite apocalyptic theology and ideology. This ideology is the lens through which they view the world. For them, everything that is happening is being branded as a “holy war.” They use their theology as a shield to justify their brutality, even against their own people.
By framing protests against the regime as rebellion against God, officials have effectively turned politics into a battlefield of Good vs Evil. Behind all this is the belief that clerics have to pave the way for the return of their Mahdi, the 12th Imam. They believe the preservation of the regime is the existential imperative for the Mahdi to return. Iran’s clerical leadership believe that the Mahdi’s return will be hastened by global destruction and war.
“Some hardline factions in Iran argue that global chaos and war are necessary precursors to the Mahdi’s return. This perspective can lead to the view that negotiated long-term peace is detrimental to their ultimate theological goals.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps are 150,000 strong hard core zealots. They have sworn to preserve the regime at all costs. They have murdered thousands with glee, all to save the radical clerics and attempt to destroy the freedom fighters. In some respects Iran is itching for a catastrophic fight to the end. The religion of peace seeks a fiery end to mankind.
Ironically this apocalyptic end times scenario also envisioned the last Mahdi coming on a white horse, and ruling the world for 7 years. Interestingly the book of Revelation also states the anti-christ will attempt to do the same.
As a footnote, Erdogan of Turkey also has visions of being the last Mahdi. That is why I am more fearful of him for Israel’s survival than any ayatollah. At the present time he has moved troops into Syria, and his intentions are most certainly not honorable to say the least.
As I wrote earlier, keep your eyes on Turkey.
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