Amir Tsarfati: Iran is Reaping a Whirlwind

Shalom from CONNECT in Israel! We’ve been experiencing the hottest temperatures here of the last 80 years, so we’re all a little warm. Still, there’s no place on this earth that I’d rather be. It has been a very busy week here catching up on all the work that stacked up on my desk while I was in North America. I’ve recorded quite a few shows, including earlier today, and have shuffled a lot of necessary papers around. I’m moving quickly because I know that I have plenty to do before I hop a plane back to the United States.

That’s right, I just can’t keep away from the one country that has shown itself to be Israel’s greatest ally. At the end of September and the beginning of October, I have the opportunity to return to two venues that I absolutely love. First, on September 26 and 27, Pastor Barry Stagner and I will be back in Birchman Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, for two all-day Discovering Daniel conferences. This will be the first time on US soil that we teach through the entire amazing book of Daniel in a single day. The Saturday conference is already full, but there are still seats available on Friday. Register today to join us!

The next weekend, Pastor Barry and I will join Dr. Mark Hitchcock at Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for two days of Awaiting His Return conferences. These are also return visits, and I can’t wait to see everyone again. The dates are October 3 and 4, and there are still places available on both days, so sign up today!

It’s been another extremely interesting week to watch the news. You may love him or you may hate him, but when it comes to working out peace deals, no president has accomplished more than Donald Trump. Just this past week, he brokered a deal between feuding Azerbaijan and Armenia that we’ll talk about more below. The deftness of his administration’s diplomacy led Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to assert, “Who, if not President Trump, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?”

It’s a fair question. A certain previous president was presented a Nobel Peace Prize with great global acclimation, despite him never brokering a peace deal. Trump has brought about eleven deals, and is currently working on a solution to the Russia/Ukraine conflict, and there’s been not even a whisper amongst the Nobel muckety-mucks of honoring him. But that’s no surprise. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is a political animal, no matter how much they may protest that their decisions are based solely on Alfred Nobel’s mandate to present it to those who have “conferred the greatest benefit to mankind.” However, I could be surprised, and the sheer magnitude of what the president accomplishes may force their hand to honor him. And it is also possible that then I get home today, my cat will have sprouted wings and will fly outside to greet me.

The MidEast & Beyond

As I often do, I want to remind you to subscribe to my Telegram channel where you will find a regular supply of up-to-the-minute news. Also, if you want more in-depth information on a number of the stories that I’ll cover below, please watch the latest “MidEast & Beyond Update” that Pastor Barry Stagner and I posted yesterday morning.

Iran is Reaping a Whirlwind
Iran is facing a huge drought and massive power shortages. A once-flowing river through the large city of Isfahan is all but dust. Large bodies of water around Tehran are dry. Government officials have stated that by the end of the year there may be no running water left in the faucets. The lack of naturally moving water is also causing major hydroelectric issues. Hospitals are finding themselves without power, and blackouts are occurring regularly throughout the nation. Neighboring Iraq is also experiencing water and power shortages, but not to the level of Iran.

Despite these desperate times, rather than working on solutions or upgrading their woefully outdated infrastructure, the Islamic regime continues to pour its money into weapons. Just Tuesday night, the skies lit up as the IRGC tested its new Kheibar Shekan missile. I’m sure as the people watched it fly overhead, they prayed for the missile to crash into the earth and hopefully open up some hidden underground watershed. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement to the Iranian people, telling them, “As soon as you are free, Israel will provide you with water recycling technology. Take to the streets for your future.” This is quite the offer, because out of necessity in the early years of statehood Israel developed some of the best recycling technology in the world. Those of us in Israel desperately want to help the Iranian citizens who despise their country’s leadership. We just can’t do so until the people finally throw off the yoke of their oppressive, radical Muslim leaders.

Trump and the Latest Peace Deal
The present weakness of the Iranian regime was highlighted this past week with President Donald Trump’s peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia, both located right across Iran’s northern border. Armenia and Azerbaijan are located next to each other, west and east respectively. The two countries have been in an on-again-off-again war over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh for 37 years. There is not enough time to get into that situation. Suffice it to say that peace was getting close. However, there was a major sticking point that was becoming a deal-breaker.

There is an Azerbaijani enclave called Nakhchevan separated from the rest of the nation by a stretch of Armenian land. A proposal was made to create a transportation pathway, the Zangezur corridor, through Armenia, which would allow the two parts of Azerbaijan to connect. Armenia, not thrilled about the south of their country being the meat in an Azerbaijani sandwich, said no. Their resolve was heightened when they considered the close relationship Azerbaijan has with Turkey, the archenemy of Armenia, which is located on the western border of both Armenia and Azerbaijani Nakhchevan. This made Armenia suddenly feel like the sandwich bread surrounding them was made up of not just Azerbaijan but Turkey as well.

In stepped President Donald Trump who proposed to convert the Zangezur corridor into the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), allowing the U.S. to watchdog the route and oversee the development of the area. The two sides agreed and peace was brought about. Russia condemned the solution, but they are too busy dodging Ukrainian UAVs to do anything about it. Iran said they would never let this peace happen, with the Supreme Leader’s senior adviser even promising that it would become a graveyard for US troops. Yet somehow Trump’s name is going up on signs along a new peace corridor, while the Supreme Leader’s name is being cursed by his own people who can’t find enough water to take a bath.

The Lebanon/Hezbollah Powder Keg
Seeing its geopolitical influence ebbing faster than the waters of Lake Urmia, Iran is desperate for their terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, to hold power in Lebanon. But it’s a very tenuous grip. As evidence, Brigadier General Maher Raad, the head of the Lebanese Army Intelligence Office in Beirut’s southern suburbs and a noted Iranianophile, was sacked from his position Tuesday, an action that never could have been accomplished with a still-strong Iran.

The following day, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun. The president sat him down and said, “We want to cooperate with Iran within the framework of sovereignty and mutual respect. The discourse recently conducted by some senior Iranian officials does not help the situation. We will not allow anyone to bear arms in Lebanon except the security forces. We oppose interference in our internal affairs by any party.” This had to have been difficult for Larijani to hear, because international interference is Iran’s bread and butter. What would, in the past, have been an intimidation move by Iran ended up being one more humiliation for the ayatollahs.

In another slap to the Iranian cheek, Israel continues to take out Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon and even up into central and the north. Eyal Zamir, Israeli Chief of Staff, said, “We are on the front line, we are striking proactively, and we are constantly thwarting threats. We do this in all arenas – we identify a threat and eliminate it. Our proactive approach and initiative are central to our mission.” The resolves of the Lebanese government and the Israeli armed forces are very bad news to Iran’s Islamic regime.

Another Week Passes and there is still No Famine in Gaza
If you follow my Telegram, you will know that there is plenty of food in Gaza. However, I will also readily admit that there are pockets where hunger could be a problem. But that is because of Hamas, whom the United Nations has had to finally admit raids and steals 88% of what they send into Gaza. However, as we all know, once the media and western governments sink their teeth into a lie, they must hold on at all costs. This truth was on full display this last week in the actions of the UN-backed famine watchdog, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. Their standard for a crisis had been when 30% of children are experiencing malnutrition. The problem was that in Gaza only 16% of children are struggling in that way. So quietly, this agency changed their numbers, dropping the crisis number to 15%. And just like that, the Gazan children are starving. And if you think that 16% is a high number, I won’t fight you on it. I don’t want to see any child struggling. However, I will say that at least 36 countries whose numbers were available have a percentage of 17% or higher, including Jordan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, and Yemen. Are you hearing anything about the children of those countries? Of course not. No Jews, no news.

Israel Pushes through Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not changed his five war aims: 1) Hamas disarmed; 2) all hostages released, both living and deceased; 3) the Gaza Strip demilitarized; 4) Israeli security in control throughout the Strip; and 4) an external (non-Israeli) entity governing in Gaza, excluding Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Osama Hamdan, current leader of Hamas, has instead demanded a complete cessation of aggression in the Gaza Strip. Then, maybe they’ll talk. Hamdan better be careful where he decides to make that bold stand. If it’s in Gaza, he’s likely to get run over by a tank.

Where Fools Rush In
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted last week that there was a partial deal worked out with Hamas. Then French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France planned on recognizing a Palestinian state, and Hamas said to Rubio, “Uh, on second thought….” Since France made their proclamation, other westernized governments couldn’t jump on the recognition train fast enough. The UK, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and others were quick to claim their brief flash of media heroism. Soon, of the 193 members of the United Nations, 147 will have recognized the fictional Palestinian entity. As I’ve said so many times before, it is everyone else who wants a two-state solution. The Palestinians don’t want two states. They only want one – theirs. As for Israel, we have offered two states so many times over the more than seven decades of our existence that we’re simply done with it. October 7 sealed the deal.

In a speech to a delegation of journalists led by Newsmax, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “A two-state solution? A Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel would indeed be a solution – a solution for those who seek to destroy us. We will not allow that to happen. If large countries like France and Canada want to establish a Palestinian state on their territory, they can; they have enough land. But here in the Land of Israel, it will not happen.” In that vein, discussions are currently being held between Israel and South Sudan about resettling Palestinians from Gaza in that country, with their foreign minister even visiting Israel this past week.

Labeling Terrorists as Terrorists
The Muslim Brotherhood is a force for terrorism. The difference between them and Hamas or Hezbollah is that the Brotherhood uses democratic means for its takeovers. It begins with a migration invasion, playing on the heartstrings of the nations into which they are emigrating. They begin to win people over using good works and striving to be friendly. Then they enter politics and begin gaining power in the governmental arena. Eventually, they move into leadership, and they dominate a country. It is then that they can begin to implement their radical agendas, all without firing a shot. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recognizes this, which is why the United States is in the process of giving the Muslim Brotherhood the deserved label of a terrorist group.

The Ministry

We continue to get reports that The Israel Decree is flying off the shelves. Short, easy-to-read, but packed with truth about how we know that today’s Israel is the Israel of the Old Testament. Grab your copy today. Also, if you haven’t preordered your copy of Exploring Ezekiel, I’d encourage you to do so right away.

I am very excited about the upcoming Behold Israel Exploring Ezekiel Norwegian Fjords Cruise next year. Taking place September 27-October 4, 2026, this amazing adventure will feature Pastor Barry Stagner and me teaching through the book of Ezekiel, as laid out in my upcoming book Exploring Ezekiel. Powerful, exciting, and so very timely, never before have we been living the days of Ezekiel so much as we are now. For more information or to register for this special cruise, visit our website.

As always, there are plenty of ways to tune in this next week, beginning with our weekly Public Reading of Scripture tonight!

• Public Reading of Scripture – Thursday, August 14, 6:00 PM PDT
• Weekly Prayer Meeting, a very special time praying with others from around the world – Friday, August 15, 10:00 AM PDT
• Explore the Bible: Interpreting the Bible Historically, with Dr. Rick Yohn and me – Tuesday, August 19, 10:00 AM PDT

Thank you for your prayers and for your faithful support of Behold Israel. It is because of you that we can travel to all parts of the world to teach God’s word without ever charging a church a dime. You have blessed us and together we have blessed God by honoring Him with our sacrifices. May His name be glorified!

Awaiting His Return,

Amir Tsarfati

By Nanking2012 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, link

Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.

The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.