[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

US and Israeli Strikes on Iran: Leading to WW3?

On Friday, February 28, 2026, the world was shocked to learn that the United States, Israel and Iran were at war. In a complex, coordinated attack that included cyber and missile attacks and airstrikes, America and Israel struck at the very heart of Iran.

In the opening salvos, over 40 key military leaders were killed. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the attack as well.

Iran’s response was immediate. Hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones were launched in retaliation. The Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed, causing a shipping bottleneck that sent shockwaves around the world.

What’s behind the current conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel? Where does Iran fit in Bible prophecy? And how will it affect you and me?

As of this recording, negotiations and peace talks haven’t ended the conflict, although a tenuous ceasefire is in effect.

Iran-US Showdown Brewing for Decades (Iran Nuclear Program)

It’s easy to lose perspective when nations go to war. We can forget all that went before to bring us to this point.

Back in 2025, following two years of war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities. American B-2s dropped “bunker buster” bombs on nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Those limited strikes were aimed at ending Iran’s not-so-secret nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

For years, Iran was suspected of working secretly to build nuclear weapons. Consider this report from CBS news, back in 2013.

Suspicion persists that the real aim [of Iran] is nuclear weapons, because it hid much of its program until it was revealed from the outside more than a decade ago and because of what the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] says are indications that it worked secretly on weapons development. Defying U.N. Security Council demands that it halt enrichment, Iran has instead expanded it (“Iran to upgrade nuclear program with faster IR-2M centrifuges to speed uranium enrichment, diplomats say,” January 31, 2013, CBS News).

But when did these uranium enrichment programs begin? The answer was relayed by a former high-ranking Israeli military intelligence officer, Major General Yaakov Amidror. His comments were recorded in a roundtable discussion in 2008. He said this:

In 1995, I was the head of the Research and Assessment Division of IDF Military Intelligence and we found the first signs that the Iranians were going nuclear… It took American experts another two years, until 1997, for the American intelligence community to understand that the Iranians were going nuclear (“The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate on Iran and Its Aftermath: A Roundtable of Israeli Experts,” Yaakov Amidror, March 2008).

Islamic Revolution in 1979 Changed Iran’s Allegiance

You see, this is not a new issue. This conflict has been building up for a whole generation.

But it actually goes back even further, to the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Many older Americans will remember the events of November 4, 1979, when radical Iranian students stormed the American embassy in Tehran. They took more than 50 American citizens hostage, who were staff members at the embassy. They held them for 444 days.

1979 was also a year of dramatic change for Iran in its relationship with the state of Israel.

You see, Israel had for years enjoyed a friendly relationship with Iran. During the 1950s, 60s and 70s, the Shah of Iran, the ruling monarch of Iran, sought to build and strengthen ties with Israel and the United States. As the Encyclopaedia Iranica online website notes:

While seeking close ties with the West and striving for modernization, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (r. 1941-79) viewed Israel as a natural ally. Israel’s strength and progress fascinated him, and its conflict with the Arab world and opposition to Communist influence in the region further promoted the strengthening of ties. The shah also believed that through relations with Israel, Persia [what Iran was formerly called] would benefit in the United States, gaining the support of American Jewry, the congress, media, business community, and the administration (“The Pahlavi Period (1948-78),” ISRAEL i. RELATIONS WITH IRAN, Encyclopaedia Iranica).

In an address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2013, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also explained the close relationship between Iran and Israel, and how it dramatically changed after the 1979 revolution.

In 1979 a radical regime in Tehran tried to stamp out that friendship [between Israel and Iran]. As it was busy crushing the Iranian people’s hope for democracy, it always led wild chants of “death of the Jews”(Netanyahu’s 2013 speech to the UN General Assembly; October 1, 2013; The Times of Israel).

So the close relationship between Iran and Israel evaporated. And we know the rest of the story. We can see what’s happened ever since.

Iran Was Once Persia: Forgotten Alliance with Israel

But perhaps it’s worth our time to investigate a little bit into that history of friendship between Iran—formerly known as Persia—and the Jews.

We’ve got to go back even further—about 2,500 years further. As mentioned before, Iran’s former name was Persia. The government of this country only changed its name to Iran in 1935. Before that, it was known as Persia for millennia. And the Jews and the Persians have generally had good relations through the years.

Again, speaking in 2013 at the General Assembly of the United Nations, Prime Minister Netanyahu said this:

We are an ancient people. We date back nearly 4,000 years to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We have journeyed through time. We’ve overcome the greatest of adversities… Today our hope for the future is challenged by a nuclear-armed Iran that seeks our destruction. But I want you to know, that wasn’t always the case. Some 2,500 years ago the great Persian king Cyrus ended the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He issued a famous edict in which he proclaimed the right of the Jews to return to the land of Israel and rebuild the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. That’s a Persian decree. And thus began an historic friendship between the Jews and the Persians that lasted until modern times (Netanyahu’s 2013 speech to the UN General Assembly; October 1, 2013; The Times of Israel).

In spite of the religious toleration of the Persians, the Jews were not without their enemies.

Queen Esther, Haman, and an Ancient Plot to Kill the Jews

During the reign of Ahasuerus—most likely Xerxes—one of his high-ranking ministers tricked the king into signing a decree authorizing the destruction of the Jewish people. That high-ranking minister’s name was Haman.

But God saved the Jews from annihilation. And He worked through a courageous young Jewish woman, Queen Esther, to accomplish that. The yearly celebration of Purim by the Jews commemorates their victory over their enemies.

There are some fascinating parallels with the story of Haman and the 2026 war in Iran. More than a few Jews have noted the timing of the attacks and the similarity of circumstances.

Among them is Prime Minister Netanyahu himself. Note this article from the Jewish Standard/Times of Israelwebsite.

In his first statement after the beginning of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the connection to Purim explicit. ‘Twenty-five hundred years ago, in ancient Persia, a tyrant rose against us with the very same goal, to utterly destroy our people,’ Netanyahu said. ‘Today as well, on Purim, the lot has fallen, and in the end this evil regime will fall too’” (“Death of Iranian leader just before Purim revives Book of Esther parallels;” March 5, 2026; Times of Israel).

Haman exercised great influence on the king in setting policy. He almost succeeded in having the Jews annihilated.

Today, modern Persia (Iran) is ruled by leaders who also have the aim of the destruction of Israel as well.

Iran in Bible Prophecy (Persian Empire)

But what about Bible prophecy? What does it say about Persia in the end-time? Will modern-day Persia invade Israel?

Some students of the Bible have noted that Ezekiel 38 prophesies of an attack on Israel by a group of nations, including Persia. They assume that Persia, Russia, and other Asian nations will invade the Holy Land during the Great Tribulation, leading up to Christ’s return. But that’s simply not what the Bible says.

Iran in Ezekiel 38 Prophecy: Timing Explained

Ezekiel 38 does speak of a massive army swooping down into the land of Israel. But it’s during the Millennium after Jesus Christ has returned to earth. Let’s notice it in Ezekiel 38:1.

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you”’” (Ezekiel 38:1–6).

These countries are identified as Asian nations, led by Russia. But notice that Persia is included among them. And Ezekiel prophesies of a massive military operation by these nations. Read on in Ezekiel 38:8.

After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you (Ezekiel 38:8–9).

It speaks of Israel being a land where people dwell safely, and a little later in the chapter, it says Israel is “a land of unwalled villages.” Could this possibly be speaking of the modern state of Israel today? Absolutely not.

The state of Israel is one of the most heavily defended countries on earth—and by necessity. It’s surrounded by enemies dedicated to its destruction.

So the only possible answer is this prophecy in Ezekiel 38 is speaking of the future, during the Millennium, after Christ has returned. And that’s an important distinction.

And Ezekiel finishes by explaining how the reigning Jesus Christ will supernaturally defend the nation of Israel at that time.

In the end, this rebellion by Gog—including the nation of Persia—will fail. And those countries will learn a valuable lesson, and that is that God rules supreme.

Ultimately, all nations of the earth will learn, and submit, and obey His voice—and reap the benefits of living God’s way of life in peace and prosperity. And those nations—including Persia—will enjoy the fruits of Christ’s rule on earth for 1,000 years.

But what about in our time now? Will Persia have any role in the Holy Land before Christ’s return? Yes, it will.

When the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026, Iran didn’t just fire back at the nation of Israel and at American ships. Over the next few weeks they also aimed missiles and drones at Arab nations all over the Middle East. Through the first 41 days of the conflict, at least 6,413 missiles and drones were launched against Iran’s neighbors.

The UAE [United Arab Emirates] recorded the highest number of attacks on its territory, followed by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan, while Oman recorded the lowest (“Iran targeted 7 Arab countries with 6,413 missiles, drones over past 41 days,” April 10, 2026, Anadolu Agency news service).

Interestingly, most of these nations have majority populations subscribing to a different branch of Islam than Iran. Iran is predominantly Shiite, whereas the Gulf States and most other Arab nations are predominantly Sunni Muslims. The Shia-Sunni split occurred back in 632 AD after the death of Muhammed. And that deep rift has separated Shias and Sunnis for centuries.

Why Iran’s Missing from Arab Confederacy in Psalm 83

The other thing to recognize is Iran is a Muslim nation, but not an Arab nation. It’s Persian, and that makes it very different from the Arab nations of the Middle East ethnically.

Interestingly, Psalm 83 identifies many Arab nations and their conflict with Israel, during the time of the end. Notice Psalm 83:1.

Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (Psalm 83:1–4).

And there are nations that will attempt to destroy Israel before the end of the age. They’re even named. Notice who they are. Going on in Psalm 83:5.

For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot (Psalm 83:5–8).

So who are these people?

Notice what Evangelist Richard Ames says about this verse.

As Psalm 83 indicates, Assyria (identified as modern-day Germany) will be joined by an end-time ‘confederacy’ of Arab nations. Look on a Bible map for the ancient location of Moab, Ammon, and Edom, nations mentioned in Psalm 83 that are also prominently mentioned in Daniel’s end-time prophecy. These are the Muslim peoples of the Middle East (“Bitter Family Rivalry,” section 5, The Middle East in Prophecy, p. 13, Richard Ames).

So watch the Arab nations—not Persia—to turn on Israel as the end of the age draws near. And as he mentioned, watch for Germany, the modern descendants of Assyria, to get involved as well.

Let’s turn to Daniel 11 to get a clear picture of what happens (Daniel 11:40).

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him.

The “him” is the king of the north. The king of the north originally was identified as the Seleucid Empire, in Syria, north of Israel. But Rome inherited that role when it conquered Syria in 64 BC. So the king of the north in the end-time is the revived Roman Empire. It’s a European power that rises to prominence with breath-taking speed in the last days.

The king of the South is a confederation of Arab nations.

So the king of the north will be attacked by the king of the South. Watch for world events to cause Arab nations to join together. Perhaps even the conflict with Iran could cause predominantly Sunni Arab nations to coalesce, taking one step closer to a confederated union.

And watch ultimately for a conflict between the Muslim Arab world and the European Beast power (reading on in Daniel 11:40).

And the king of the North shall come against him [that is, the king of the south] like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, [meaning, the land of Israel] and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels (Daniel 11:40–42).

Watch for Europe to take a strong hand in the Middle East, centering in Jerusalem. Watch for a conflict between a German-led Beast power and an Arab confederation.

Iran and the 200-Million Man Army in Revelation 9

Let’s read on in Daniel 11:44.

But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

What nations are located east and north of Jerusalem?

Here is where Persia and other nations east and north enter the picture. Look at a map of the Middle East and Asia. East and north of Jerusalem is the same group of nations we read about in Ezekiel 38. But in this case, not attacking Israel, but rather confronting the European Beast power. This is also known as the Sixth Trumpet plague. Notice (in Revelation 9:13):

Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million (Revelation 9:13–16).

This corresponds to Daniel 11:44 which we just read. This massive 200-hundred-million-man army will be representing the lands north and east of Jerusalem.

And this powerful army will converge on the Beast power and cross the Euphrates River, which will by then be dried up. This will lead to the sixth bowl of the seven last plagues (notice in Revelation 16:12).

Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty… And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12–16).

This leads to the so-called battle of Armageddon or, in Hebrew, “Har Megiddo,” or the Hill of Megiddo. This is located north of Jerusalem. These armies of the east—most likely including Persia—will converge on the Beast. And unless Christ would return, this battle would lead to all life being wiped off the face of the earth.

But what’s been left out of our discussion? Who’s not been mentioned?

Well, we’ve seen where Persia—modern Iran—will play a part in the final battle between the kings of the east and the Beast power.

But notice, by then, there is no mention of end-time Israel. And if you are a regular viewer of Tomorrow’s World, you know that the modern tribes of Israel today include the United States, the British-descended nations, and other countries of northwest Europe.

The sobering truth is, by the time these confrontations take place that we’ve discussed the Israel-descended nations will have already been vanquished. Defeated. And even taken into slavery.

If you live in one of these modern nations of Israel, don’t think these conflicts won’t ever come to your shores. Jesus warned His listeners to watch world events and be ready for His return. These were not just nice-sounding words. He was giving a warning.

The missile attacks and aircraft strikes we watch today on television or on our smart phones will someday be turned on our nations. And that will usher in the Great Tribulation—a time of global crisis unlike anything humanity has ever experienced. But how will you know it’s coming?

To understand what lies ahead—and what it means for you—watch this next video, explaining what the Tribulation is, who it affects most, which Scriptures you can study about it, and how it fits with end-time Bible prophecy.

Don’t wait until it begins. Recognize the events leading up to it—and understand what God wants you to do before it begins.