Volume 44         Issue Seven         July 2025

Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916

Phone: 920-887-2626   Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8

The War Report

 

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

 

Zechariah 12:2-3

 

For years, we have heard that Iran wants the bomb. The Islamic country’s aspiration to become a nuclear power has long been a point of contention with the Western world and the State of Israel. Considering that a commonly used slogan in Iran is “Death to America,” it stands to reason that the United States, Israel, and their allies would vehemently oppose Iran’s quest to acquire these deadly weapons of mass destruction. Interestingly enough, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, downplayed the famous slogan in a statement issued in November 2015, declaring, “The slogan ‘death to America’ is backed by reason and wisdom.” He then went on to explain, “It goes without saying that the slogan does not mean death to the American nation; this slogan means death to the U.S.’s policies, death to arrogance.” (1) However, he further redefined the meaning of the phrase in February 2019, stating, “‘Death to America’ means death to Trump and John Bolton and [Mike] Pompeo,” referring to President Donald Trump and two officials from his first administration. He continued, “It means death to American leaders, who happen to be these people at this time.” (2) The clarification that Iran does not want to kill all Americans, but only our leaders, is hardly reassuring.

 

Iran has a longstanding interest in nuclear technology. This interest began long before the United States and Iran became adversaries. In fact, Iran’s first civil nuclear program was developed in 1957 with help from the United States under the Atoms for Peace program. (3) This initiative called for the development of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, particularly in the form of nuclear power plants. Remarkably, the United States gave 5.545 kilograms of uranium—a radioactive component that can be used for nuclear power or to build bombs—to Iran in September 1967. (4) In the 1970s, dozens of Iranian students were trained as nuclear engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (5) However, after the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran in February 1979, everything changed. (6) The United States and its allies began to actively thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions, fearing that the hostile new regime might have nefarious purposes for pursuing nuclear technology. Iran has long contended that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

 

After a decade of very little nuclear activity, Iran signed its first agreement with Russia in 1989—a pact on the utilization of “nuclear materials and related equipment.” (7) Then, in 1993, the Islamic Republic of Iran ratified agreements of cooperation with Russia and China. Months later, China agreed to sell nuclear reactors to Iran. (8) Both China and Russia have remained on friendly terms with Iran since these agreements were made. In August 2002, reports surfaced indicating that Iran had built secret uranium enrichment facilities. Later that year, the United States accused Iran of “across-the-board pursuit of weapons of mass destruction.” (9)

 

Obama Makes A Deal

 

For the last two decades, the Western world has endeavored to stop Iran from enriching uranium. Such efforts include a nuclear deal spearheaded by former American President Barack Obama in 2015. Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the deal was signed by the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union, and, of course, Iran. The deal stipulated that Iran would significantly reduce its nuclear activities, including the enrichment of uranium. In return, sanctions against Iran would be lifted, and more than $150 billion in assets would be unfrozen and returned to Iran. (10) Critics noted that the deal did not halt Iran’s nuclear activities but merely slowed them down. There was also grave concern that Iran could use the cash infusion to fund terrorism. Such criticism was expressed in a piece published by the Hoover Institution in July 2015. “We should judge President Obama and his treaty harshly on each of these points. By providing Iran with billions of dollars of immediate cash, this agreement will help Iran fund wars and terrorist attacks that could take thousands of lives,” wrote legal scholar Richard Epstein, the author of the piece. (11)

 

In a July 2015 interview with New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman, Obama, who was still President at the time, was quoted as saying, “Don’t judge me on whether this deal transforms Iran, ends Iran’s aggressive behavior toward some of its Arab neighbors or leads to détente between Shiites and Sunnis. Judge me on one thing: Does this deal prevent Iran from breaking out with a nuclear weapon for the next 10 years and is that a better outcome for America, Israel and our Arab allies than any other alternative on the table?” (12) Thus, by his own admission, Obama’s biggest goal was to delay Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb for ten years. However, we are now entering July 2025, which is ten years after the deal was signed. We must now contend with the reality that the world is not safer; the Middle East remains volatile, and we narrowly avoided a conflict that could have quickly escalated into a much broader regional war, potentially leading to World War III.

 

Deal Or No Deal

 

On May 8, 2018, the White House issued a statement announcing that President Donald Trump was terminating the United States' involvement in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. (JCPOA) As a result, the nuclear deal with Iran was abruptly stopped, and sanctions against Iran were quickly reinstated. In explaining his decision, President Trump said at the time, “The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.” The White House press release further explained, “The JCPOA enriched the Iranian regime and enabled its malign behavior, while at best delaying its ability to pursue nuclear weapons and allowing it to preserve nuclear research and development.” The brief also contended that Iran had continued its work towards a nuclear weapon in secret even while pretending to abide by the terms of the deal. (13)

 

 

In the days that followed, Iran openly resumed activities, such as the enrichment of uranium, that were previously restricted under the JCPOA. Then, in January 2020, shortly after Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed in an attack by American forces, Iran announced it would place no limits on its uranium enrichment program. (14)

 

Upon his return to the White House in 2025 after a four-year hiatus, President Trump began efforts to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran. According to reports, Trump sent a “tough” letter to Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei in March 2025, insisting on a new nuclear agreement. The letter included a two-month deadline for Iran to respond. (15) Iran agreed to talk. The first round of negotiations kicked off on April 12, 2025, between U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The initial negotiations were described as “positive and constructive” by the White House. However, Trump made it clear that there would be no deal that allowed Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.  “I want them not to have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later warned that “there will be hell to pay” if a nuclear agreement is not reached with Iran. (16)  Five rounds of negotiations were held between April and June 2025. However, the United States and Iran were unable to make a deal. (17)

 

Meanwhile, alarming reports began to surface indicating that Iran was close to achieving weapons-grade uranium enrichment. According to a report published by The Wall Street Journal, Iran had accumulated a stockpile of 408.6 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that this was enough uranium for roughly ten nuclear weapons. The report further went on to say that Iran could further process that uranium to weapons-grade level in less than two weeks. (18)

 

On June 12, 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) declared that Iran was in non-compliance with the safeguards stipulated by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. “The Board of Governors... finds that Iran's many failures to uphold its obligations since 2019 to provide the Agency with full and timely cooperation regarding undeclared nuclear material and activities at multiple undeclared locations in Iran ... constitutes non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with the Agency,” the IAEA said in a statement sent to member states of the agreement. (19) The next day, on June 13, 2025, the State of Israel attacked the Islamic Republic of Iran.

 

The Twelve-Day War

 

On the morning of June 13, 2025, at approximately 3:00 AM local time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a surprise attack on Iran, hitting “dozens of targets,” according to reports. (20) More than two hundred Israeli fighter jets were involved in the initial assault, dropping over 330 munitions on over one hundred nuclear sites and military installations.  (21) By 6:30 AM local time, the IDF had already conducted five waves of strikes. (22) The initial attacks killed several high-ranking Iranian military officials. “We can now confirm that the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Commander of the IRGC, and the Commander of Iran’s Emergency Command were all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran,” said Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Effie Defrin. (23)

 

In his first comments on the attack, American President Donald Trump chastised Iran for failing to reach a nuclear deal with the United States. “I gave Iran the opportunity to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest terms, ‘Just do it.’ But no matter how hard they tried, and how close they got, they just couldn’t do it,” Trump wrote. He then went on, “Now everyone is dead, and it’s only going to get worse but there is still time to stop this slaughter – before the next attacks, which are expected to be even more brutal.”  (24)

 

In response to the first attacks, Iran quickly responded on the morning of June 13 by launching more than one hundred armed drones against Israel. (25) Iran’s Supreme Leader raged against his adversary, writing on the social media platform, X, “That [Zionist] regime should anticipate a severe punishment. By God’s grace, the powerful arm of the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces won’t let them go unpunished.” (26) Later that evening, Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel with explosions heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. (27) A senior Iranian official issued a warning indicating that any nation that assisted Israel in its assault on Iran would become a target of the Iranian military. “Any country that attempts to defend the regime against Iran's operations will, in turn, see its regional bases and positions become new targets,” the official said. (28) U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quick to distance the United States from the initial attacks, claiming that Israel acted alone. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense,” Rubio said as news of Israel’s offensive broke. He then continued, “Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.” (29)

 

For the next several days, Israel and Iran would continue to launch attacks against each other. As it became clear that Israel was gaining the upper hand over Iran, President Trump became more supportive while he cheered from the sidelines. On June 17, 2025, President Trump even issued a veiled threat against Iran’s Supreme Leader, writing on Truth Social, “We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now." (30) A short time later, Trump hinted that the United States might join the assault on Iran. “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do." (31) Iran’s Supreme Leader fired back, warning on June 18, 2025, “The Americans must understand — any U.S. military incursion will undoubtedly lead to irreversible consequences.” (32)

 

All across the world, fear and dread set in as people watched and waited, wondering what would happen next. Israel began to lobby the United States in earnest for assistance in attacking the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran. Built three hundred feet under a mountain, the facility is impervious to most weapons, including standard bombs and missiles. However, the United States has 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs at its disposal that were designed with hard-to-reach targets, such as Fordo, in mind. (33)

 

On June 22, 2025, the United States of America, under the instruction of President Trump, launched an air assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The strikes targeted nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan, and, of course, Fordo. President Trump declared the strikes were a great success and claimed they “obliterated”  Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” Trump proudly proclaimed. He then warned that Iran had “many targets left,” before adding, “If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill.” (34) In response to the air attacks, Iranian spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari was quoted as saying, “Mr. Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it.” (35)

 

At this perilous moment in history, there was every reason to believe that the volatile situation in the Middle East was about to get a lot worse. It was a foregone conclusion that Iran would retaliate against the United States, but when and where they would strike and how severely was unclear. Then, amid the uncertainty, something very peculiar happened. Iran did retaliate against the United States, but did so in a manner that was perhaps the weakest possible. On June 23, 2025, Iran fired fourteen ballistic missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. All but one of the missiles were shot down by U.S. and Qatari forces, and there were no damages or loss of life. Oddly, Iran gave Qatar and the United States advance notice that the missiles were on the way. “I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,” Trump wrote in response to the attack. (36)

 

Hours later, Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire that would end the war. “CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” Trump announced on Truth Social. He then added, “Officially, Iran will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 12th Hour, Israel will start the CEASEFIRE and, upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World,” Trump exuberantly declared. (37) Just as suddenly as it had begun, the war was over. Why the sudden shift? The motives behind Iran’s change of course remain unclear. But to me, the most plausible explanation is simple: God intervened in mercy.

 

The Aftermath

 

While we should be thankful that the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States only lasted for twelve days, we should also remember that many lives were destroyed in this very brief period. According to Iranian authorities, at least 935 people died in Iran throughout the conflict. In Israel, at least twenty-eight people were killed. (38) Thousands more were injured. Had this conflict continued for any longer, many more lives would have been lost. It is also very possible that more countries could have become entwined in the conflict over time, resulting in a global conflict.

 

It is naive to think that Iran will simply forgive and forget about everything that transpired in June 2025. It is a safe bet that Iran hates the State of Israel and the United States more than ever. Both Israel and the United States have signaled that they would be open to attacking Iran again in the future if they deem it necessary. According to an article published by the New York Times on June 27, 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that Israel is implementing an enforcement policy that would prevent Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon or developing long-range missiles. “We are saying unequivocally, once the Iranians violate, we will strike.” (39) For his part, President Trump said he would bomb Iran again “without question” if Iran enriched uranium to weapon-grade levels. (40) Ominously, Newsweek reported on June 30, 2025, that a senior cleric in Iran has issued a fatwa against the President, declaring that Trump is an “enemy of God” because he had threatened Iran’s Supreme Leader. The fatwa calls on Muslims “to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes." (41) This fatwa appears to be an incitement to violence.

 

Was the crisis averted, or merely delayed? As people fall back into their daily routines and go about their business, the twelve-day conflict of June 2025 might just become a footnote in the history books. Yet, when we look at everything that happened, we can see just how close the United States came to all-out war.  We should thank God for giving us more time. We have no way of knowing how much time we have, but every day we do have is an opportunity to be a shining light in a dark world. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15-16, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

 

As we endure these perilous times, we see the words of Jesus Christ coming to pass before our very eyes. In Matthew 24:6-8, Jesus warns, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Yet even amid these warnings, we find hope. In Matthew 24:13, our Saviour admonishes, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”  If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.

 

Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. If you have any prayer needs, great or small, we invite you to send them our way. We always give each request individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 

Samuel David Meyer

 

References

 

01. The Guardian, November 3, 2015, By Saeed Kamali Dehghan, theguardian.com.

02. The New York Times, February 8, 2019, By Thomas Erdbrink, nytimes.com.

03.  Oxford Research Group, Chronology of Iran’s Nuclear Programme, oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk.

04. Ibid.

05. National Public Radio, September 15, 2015, By Steve Inskeep, npr.org.

06. Oxford Research Group, Chronology of Iran’s Nuclear Programme, oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk.

07. Ibid.

08. Ibid.

09. Ibid.

10. The Hoover Institute, July 20, 2015, By Richard A. Epstein, hoover.org.

11. Ibid.

12. The New York Times, July 14, 2015, By Thomas L. Friedman, nytimes.com.

13. The White House, May 8, 2018, trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov.

14. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, June 19, 2025, By Matt Field, thebulletin.org.

15. Axios, March 19, 2025, By Barak Ravid, axios.com.

16. Al Jazeera, April 12, 2025, By Maziar Motamedi, aljazeera.com.

17. The Conversation, June 13, 2025, By Javed Ali, theconversation.com.

18. The Wall Street Journal, May 31, 2025, By Laurence Norman, wsj.com.

19. Reuters, June 12, 2025, By Francois Murphy, reuters.com.

20. BBC News, June 13, 2025, By The Visual Journalism Team, bbc.com.

21. The Times of Israel, June 13, 2025, By Emanuel Fabian, timesofisrael.com.

22. The Times of Israel, June 13, 2025, By Emanuel Fabian, timesofisrael.com.

23. CNBC, June 13, 2025, By Natasha Turak, cnbc.com.

24. Ibid.

25. Ibid.

26. Ibid.

27. UPI, June 13, 2025, By Allen Cone and Paul Godfrey, upi.com.

28. Ibid.

29. The New York Times, June 12, 2025, By Qasim Nauman, nytimes.com.

30. Reuters, June 17, 2025, By Reuters, reuters.com.

31. National Public Radio, June 18, 2025, By Rebecca Rosman and Franco Ordonez, npr.org.

32. Ibid.

33. National Public Radio, June 22, 2025, By Elena Moore and Megan Pratz, npr.org.

34. Ibid.

35. The Times of Israel, June 23, 2025, By Reuters, timesofisrael.com.

36. CBS News, June 24, 2025, By Sarah Lynch Baldwin and Haley Ott, cbsnews.com.

37. Fox News, June 23, 2025, By Stepheny Price and Trey Yingst, foxnews.com.

38. The Hill, June 30, 2025, By Tara Suter, thehill.com.

39. The New York Times, June 27, 2025, By Erika Solomon, Ronen Bergman, Adam Rasgon, and Johnatan Reiss, nytimes.com.

40. Newsmax, June 27, 2025, By AFP, newsmax.com.

41. Newsweek, June 30, 2025, By Brendan Cole and Shane Croucher, newsweek.com.

 

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