Israel won this round – but the war against Iran is not over

Within only 12 days, commencing on 13th June, in a highly sophisticated and complex operation that was Biblical in both its scope and effect, Israel succeeded to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. For decades, the Iranian regime had been working on creating the ability to produce a nuclear bomb that would potentially be directed against Israel.

In the first hours of the operation which it named “Rising Lion”, Israel took out Iran’s air force and air defenses and killed a significant number of key Iranian military and IRGC leaders and nuclear scientists. In the succeeding days, Israeli fighter jets and drones swept Iranian airspace destroying many installations connected with the nuclear program and wiping out most of Iran’s ballistic missiles and launchers.

The most significant military leader killed was the chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ air force, Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who was killed alongside the rest of the top brass of the IRGC Aerospace Force — responsible for Iran’s ballistic missiles and drones — as they met in an underground command center to prepare Iran’s retaliation.

“The “bunker buster” bombs used by the U.S. were GBU-57 series MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator)”,
Trump said a few days ago.”

Operation Rising Lion, involving not only the Israeli defense forces and security but also a large number of Israeli operatives and Iranians in Iran had been in preparation in secret for years.

The campaign reached its peak last weekend, when – within just a few hours – United States B-2 bombers suddenly performed a “surgical” operation dropping their massive “bunker buster” bombs to destroy Iran’s Fordo Uranium enrichment plant buried deep underground. Simultaneously, nuclear submarines stationed just outside the Persian Gulf fired 30 Tomahawk missiles at the already-damaged nuclear facilities of Natanz and Isfahan to finish their destruction.

The “bunker buster” bombs used by the U.S. were GBU-57 series MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) – a 30,000-pound (14,000 kg) class, 20.5-foot-long (6.2 m) precision-guided missile developed by Boeing for the US Air force, composed of a BLU-127 bomb body and an integrated GPS/INS guidance package. Due to its size and weight, the GBU-57 MOP can only be carried by the Northrop B-2 Spirit strategic bomber.

• “the devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, have set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.”

While claiming victory, Israel has paid a huge price. Over the past days, Iran has intensively attacked Israeli civilian areas with missiles, causing massive damage. Twenty nine people were killed and 3238 wounded. The country has been in effective lockdown. The war cost tens of billions of shekels. 15,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes, and hundreds face a housing crisis.

“While claiming victory, Israel has paid a huge price.”

On Monday, President Trump suddenly announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, apparently brokered by Qatar in close coordination with China. Both Israel and Iran breached the first hours of the ceasefire – Israel rained bombs on key Iranian installations, and Iran continued to pour missiles on Israeli civilians. Tragically, after the announcement of the ceasefire, an Iranian missile struck a building in Beersheba early Tuesday morning killing an IDF soldier, his mother, and his partner. Cpl. Eitan Zacks, 18, from Beersheba, was in combat training. His mother, Michal Zacks, was also killed, along with his partner, Noa Boguslavsky, from Arad. Two others were killed in the missile attack, and 20 people were injured as Iran fired three rounds of missiles into Beersheba between 4:45 and 7:10 a.m., past the time that the ceasefire was intended to begin at 7 a.m.

For the time being, hostilities between Israel and Iran have ceased. But the war is not over. The Iranian revolutionary regime is still in power. Ayatollah Khamenei is still alive and kicking. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been badly damaged but not destroyed. Furthermore, much of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium may already have been spirited out of the Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz sites before they were bombed.

President Trump has called for renewed negotiations with the Iranian regime, to reach a conclusive deal to end Iran’s nuclear program. So far, the Iranians have refused the offer. In fact, Ayatollah Khamenei has claimed victory in the war. He said that US President Donald Trump had “exaggerated” the impact of strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, and threatened to repeat the “slap” his country had dealt American forces in the region. The regime has declared its determination to rebuild their nuclear program.

Israel has said it achieved all of its military objectives but will strike Iran again if necessary.

Palestinians gather at near the Zikim border crossing between Israel and Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip | Photo Ali HassanFlash90

Humanitarian aid chaos in Gaza

Israel’s victory in the Israel–Iran war has dealt a severe blow to Hamas, that is hugely dependent on Iranian financial and military support, especially through the IRGC. But the war against Hamas is far from over. Hamas has been decimated by the IDF but is reorganizing itself. Young people are being recruited to fight for Hamas, and terrorist operatives from the organization continue to seize aid trucks and transfer them directly to warehouses under their control.

There is an acute shortage of food and other basic supplies in the Gaza Strip, after the nearly two-year military campaign by Israel that has displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants. Hamas continues to hold 50 Israelis hostage.

Foreign aid in Gaza is being distributed by the US-Israeli entity Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). An average of just 56 trucks have been entering Gaza per day since Israel partially lifted its blockade after 78 days on May 19. The UN says several hundred are needed daily to address the dire need in the Strip.

Aid trucks and warehouses storing supplies have often been looted, with Israel accusing Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies, while others say the looters frequently are desperate and starving Palestinians.

Hamas has established the Arrow Unit, an independent unit that operates to demonstrate Hamas governance in the Strip through violent means – but it presents this as dealing with local crime. The Unit issued an ultimatum this week to the Gazan families who looted the 70 aid trucks in Khan Yunis on June 25: you have 10 hours to return what was stolen. “The clans came … to form a stance to prevent the aggressors and the thieves from stealing the food that belongs to our people,” Abu Salman Al Moghani, a representative of Gazan clans, said, referring to the events on Wednesday.

United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff Photo: Yonatan SindelFlash90

Abraham Accords – and Palestinian statehood?

US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff reiterated Wednesday his belief that additional countries will join the Abraham Accords, which normalized ties between Israel and several Muslim nations.

• “We think we will have some pretty big announcements on countries that are coming into the Abraham Accords. One of the president’s key objectives is that the Abraham Accords be expanded and more countries come into it, and we are working on that.”

This week, US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer participated in a four-way phone call to celebrate the achievement of military goals and discuss postwar plans for the Middle East.

The Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reports, based on the account of a source familiar with the matter, that consensus was reached which includes an end to the war in Gaza; the territory would be ruled by a coalition of Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt; the exile of Hamas from the Gaza Strip; and the release of the remaining hostages. In addition, some countries would accept Gaza civilians who wish to leave. The agreement also proposed an expansion of the Abraham Accords to include Syria, Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries that would normalize relations with Israel.

Shockingly, Israel would agree to a two-state solution with a “reformed” Palestinian Authority, while the United States would recognize limited Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

Two diplomatic sources reported that Trump put substantial pressure on Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza and that this pressure existed even before Israel launched missiles against Iran, commencing Operation Rising Lion.

Let us pray this week for the people of Israel. May the Lord use this period of respite to restore peace and stability in the land. May this be a time of healing and reconciliation for all in the land – Jews, Arabs, Bedouins – Christians, Muslims and Druzes. May all in the land look to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for their deliverance – not to war and weapons of war. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the coming of the Prince of Peace.

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Israel and the Signs of the Times – Bible Study with Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer
God is on the move—gathering His people from the North, South, East, and West, fulfilling His eternal promise to Israel. Yet the question remains: do the nations see it? Do they recognize that God is acting with power and purpose?

A spiritual blindness covers the nations—and even the Church is not exempt. Replacement theology is spreading, distorting the truth of God’s covenant. While many remain unaware, the powers of darkness see clearly and are working to obstruct what God is doing.
God’s promise to Israel still stands. It’s time to discern the times and align with His plan.

👉 Watch this insightful Bible study with Rev. Willem J.J. Glashouwer.