Getting On The Same Page

Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu had a good meeting with US President Trump on Tuesday in Washington, DC and according to a report from CBN.com it went well:

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday for the first time since the war with Iran started. Despite reports of tension between the two leaders, they both described the meeting as positive. And after several days of a pause in fighting, Iran suddenly launched an attack on U.S. forces in the region.

Iran obviously didn’t care that the two world leaders were meeting or perhaps they timed it exactly as they met as a way of thumbing their noses at them. Regardless, both the PM and US President were all smiles:

In Washington, the White House described Tuesday’s meeting between Trump and Netanyahu as “positive and productive.” The meeting comes at a pivotal moment as the U.S. and Israel coordinate their response to Iran and shape what comes next in the Middle East. Netanyahu called the meeting one of their best ever, emphasizing what he described as a full partnership between the two leaders. “I just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump," the prime minister declared.

Netanyahu went out of his way to underscore the quality of the meeting:

"When I say excellent, I don't mean it in a superficial way. A conversation with full partnership, with mutual support, with an understanding of the common goal of ensuring that Iran does not have nuclear weapons, and other goals as well.”

Netanyahu’s remarks also appeared aimed at pushing back against weeks of speculation about tensions between the two leaders.

Strongly Against Iran

As we would expect, Netanyahu and Trump discussed Iran and the overall fighting in the Middle East. One source summed things up this way:

Alex Traiman, Jerusalem Bureau Chief for JNS, said the meeting highlighted the shared interests between Washington and Jerusalem and could help shape both the next phase of the conflict with Iran and the future diplomatic landscape of the region.

“These are two powerful allies, that are working together, both to set the strategy for the next stages of war with Iran, but also to set the next stages of peace in the Middle East, which includes, normalization between Israel and Lebanon and potentially normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia," Traiman said.

Netanyahu was also in the US for the funeral of a friend of Israel, the late Senator Lindse Graham:

Following the White House meeting, Netanyahu traveled to pay his respects at the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s strongest supporters in Congress and a longtime personal friend of the prime minister.

Defiant Attacks

As alluded to previously, Iran launched a surprise attack on the US forces in the area as well as launching ballistic missiles against other nations in the region:

Even as diplomatic efforts continue, military tensions remain high. U.S. Central Command says it intercepted multiple missiles launched by Iran in a surprise attack targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East. Overnight, Iran also fired ballistic missiles toward Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain, underscoring the risk of a wider regional conflict.

The US and one other country Iran targeted responded:

CENTCOM also announced that the U.S. and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iranian proxies in northern Iraq in response to drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities.

Trump warned the Iranians that if they don’t agree at the bargaining table he will hit them very hard in a profanity-laced reply:

President Trump also renewed his warning that if diplomacy fails, the United States is prepared to strike Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility near Natanz, one of the country’s most protected underground nuclear sites.

Where will all this lead? Both Trump and Netanyahu were pretty clear-cut on how it would go:

For both Washington and Jerusalem, the message is clear: while diplomatic efforts continue, both leaders are preparing for the possibility that the conflict with Iran could enter an even more decisive phase.

The Biblical perspective is clear as well. Iran will survive this in one form or another. They will survive it as a very weakened nation, one that will enlist the help of a coalition of nations to make one last attempt to annihilate Israel. We read about this in Ezekiel 38 in what those of us who study Bible prophecy call the war of Gog and Magog. While I don’t know the specific way it will come to pass, the overall climate for it occurring is easy to see in light of the current state of all the nations listed in that future conflict. The wildcard here is America. This country isn’t clearly seen in Bible prophecy as much as people try to see it. Could Trump be part of the young lions seen in Ezekiel 38:13?:

Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder? (NKJV)

I don’t think so, but what we do know is the outcome which is total destruction handed down by God Himself on these nations coming against His chosen people, Israel. That war will end in an explosive way. As always, pray for the peace of Jerusalem as we watch things play out.