On July 9, 2026, Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal’s Washington coverage chief, wrote the following:
- President Trump has used every tactic in the book to wind down his war with Iran.
- Threats (he threatened the end of their civilization).
- Cajoling (he offered them hundreds of billions of dollars).
- Loosely worded interim deals (there have been at least two, the April ceasefire and then the June memorandum of understanding).
- But none of it has worked.
- Iran has continued attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
- This week, Trump took away Iran’s ability to sell oil.
- He’s bombing dozens of sites in the country.
- Iran is launching attacks at Bahrain and Kuwait, where there are U.S. bases.
- The stock market is falling.
- And oil prices are spiking.
- Is it a full-blown war again?
- Hard to tell.
- But it’s sliding toward ugly.
(My opinion: It seems to me that Paletta is right. This war keeps dragging on; very little, if any, is getting resolved, and some things seem to be getting worse.)
(FYI: I don’t know, but I also believe that we MIGHT be sliding toward the prophesied Battle of Gog of Magog, POSSIBLY a false peace, POSSIBLY the Tribulation Period, and POSSIBLY a global economic collapse. If it slides that far, it will be worse than ugly.)
More: On July 14, 2026, it was reported that:
- Trump has resumed hostilities with Iran following the collapse of a fragile ceasefire, gaining more leverage to escalate conflict.
- His governance announced the re-implementation of sanctions against Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz blockade to weaken Iran’s energy sector and economy.
- Expert analysis suggests that this strategic shift allows Trump to negotiate from a position of strength, as active hostilities increase the military and economic pressures on Iran.
Update:
- On July 3, 2026, Pres. Trump held an emergency meeting to discuss a massive offensive against Iran in a bid to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- It comes after the US leader threatened Iran with airstrikes against their bridges and suggested “other people” will launch a ground campaign for him.
- As fighting in the region intensifies, the US president said he will hit Iran “very hard” in the coming days.
- “Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’ll knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”
Here are some recent articles that seem to indicate that the end of the age is close:
One, on July 9, 2026, Michael Snyder, author of The Economic Collapse blog, wrote:
- We knew that this wasn’t over.
- The ill-fated “Memorandum of Understanding” may have delayed the inevitable, but now the ceasefire is dead, and fighting is raging throughout the Middle East all over again.
- Sadly, we shall soon see just how far both sides are willing to escalate matters.
- In my opinion, we are going to witness some absolutely shocking escalations in the months ahead.
- None of the parties involved in this war have any intention of backing down, and I am convinced that some very shocking “surprises” are ahead.
Two, on July 9, 2026, it was reported that:
- Israeli officials have increasingly indicated that Jerusalem is ready to return to military action if it determines that circumstances demand it.
- Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. said Jerusalem is supportive of the position of the United States and would fly alongside U.S. aircraft if called on to do so.
- Israel’s Prime Min. Netanyahu said, “The war is not yet over. Alongside old challenges, new ones are emerging.”
Three, concerning the effort to destroy Israel at the end of the age: on July 10, 2026, it was reported that:
- As former national security adviser Giora Eiland observed this week, Iran sought to surround Israel with a Shi’ite ring of fire.
- Turkey, he warned, increasingly appears interested in building a Sunni one.
- That explains why Netanyahu went on American television networks to lobby publicly against an administration policy still under consideration.
- If Iran’s decline is creating a regional vacuum, Israel fears Turkey is positioning itself to fill it, and that American F-35s, coupled with Trump’s embrace of Erdogan, might help it do so.
(FYI: Muslims are like Christians. There are different kinds of Muslims – Shiite, Sunni, etc. – and different kinds of Christians – Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, etc. Iran wants to establish a Shiite world government and religion. Turkey wants to establish a Sunni world government and religion. Both want to destroy the U.S. and Israel so they can establish an Islamic world government and religion. This war is not over. Israel knows it and believes the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets and engines to Turkey is a big mistake. I think it is a big mistake too. But I also believe God will destroy Turkey and Iran – Battle of Gog of Magog – before the Antichrist rises to power.)
Four, on July 11, 2026, the Sweden Herald reported that:
- Revenge for the former ayatollah is “the nation’s demand,” according to a written statement purportedly from Mojtaba Khamenei.
- We promise to avenge your innocent blood and the blood of all martyrs in these wars from the criminal and dishonorable murderers.
- This revenge is the will of our nation and must be carried out, the letter reads, according to state-run Fars.
- Khamenei the Younger, who succeeded his father as supreme leader, has not been seen in public since the attack that killed Ali Khamenei in late February.
- He also did not appear at his father’s funeral ceremonies this week, and according to multiple reports, he is likely injured or disfigured.
- Iranian state media has on several occasions released written statements purporting to come from the new ayatollah.
Five, concerning the expansion of Israel’s borders at the end of the age: on July 12, 2026, Israel granted city status to the Jerusalem suburb of Givat Ze’ev, officially making it the fifth Jewish city in Judea and Samaria.
Givat Ze’ev, located in Samaria some three miles northwest of Jerusalem, has more than 35,000 residents, and the new municipal status is intended to allow for further growth.
More: On July 13, 2026, Israeli Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strook called for building Jewish communities throughout all of Judea and Samaria, including in Palestinian Authority-administered areas. She said, “This entire land is ours—not only Area C, but also Areas B and A.”
Update: On July 14, 2026, Israel approved a 1.3 billion shekel ($434 million) plan to establish and develop dozens of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Six, concerning the globalist effort to establish a world government: on July 13, 2026:
- The U.S. launched a campaign to “dismantle the threat” that the International Criminal Court (ICC) poses to U.S. sovereignty.
- The initiative will be led by the State Department and include diplomatic pressure on countries to withdraw from the court, particularly nations that receive U.S. military protection, security cooperation, or other assistance.
- The U. S. does not recognize the authority of international bureaucrats an ocean away who seek to upend America’s 250-year history of self-governance and impose an illegitimate legal order on our sovereignty.
- America’s sovereignty is and always will be non-negotiable.
Seven, on July 1, 2026, the long-simmering war on the Arabian Peninsula erupted again as Saudi forces struck Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital and the Iranian-backed rebels answered within hours with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at southern Saudi Arabia.
Eight, concerning an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters at the end of the age: a 1-in 1,000 rain (more than 12 inches in 24 hours in some areas) in south central Missouri caused flash flooding, extensive damage, and required the rescue of many people.
Here are some day-to-day reports on what is happening in the U.S.-Iran war.
Fri. Day 133 (July 10, 2026) (Day 80 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (41 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- S. officials said Washington expects Iran to publicly commit by Saturday, July 11 that: commercial vessels will no longer be attacked; every shipping channel through the Strait of Hormuz will remain open; and ships will be allowed to transit without Iranian tolls (no attacks, all lanes open, and no tolls).
- Iran threatened to attack Israel if the US continues to attack Iran.
Sat. Day 134 (July 11, 2026) (Day 81 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (42 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- S. forces hit approximately 140 Iranian military targets. This marked the third round of U.S. strikes against Iranthis week, bringing the total number of targets hit to more than 300.
- The IRGC said it had launched attacks on American military assets in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan.
- Following a report on July 9, 2021 that Iran is considering a plot to assassinate Trump, today he said “1,000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands more to immediately follow should the Iranian Government act on its threat.”
Sun. Day 135 (July 12, 2026) (Day 82 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (43 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- The U. S. launched a fourth wave of strikes against Iran, targeting military sites near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz after Tehran attacked American-aligned Gulf nations. The targets included missile and drone installations, naval capabilities, ammunition depots, communications networks and coastal surveillance facilities used to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
- After years of claiming that Israel falsely accused Hamas of blocking humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza, the UN said that the terror group has “endangered humanitarian personnel, intimidated workers delivering lifesaving food assistance, and disrupted lifesaving humanitarian operations.”
Mon. Day 136 (July 13, 2026) (Day 83 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (44 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- Trump said the U.S. will be “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz.
- Starting at 4 p.m. tomorrow, the U.S. will blockade ships going to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas.
- Trump ordered more strikes against Iran in response to the Islamic Republic’s attacks on civilian-manned commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Tues. Day 137 (July 14, 2026) (Day 84 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (45 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu issued a blunt warning to Iran, declaring that any renewed attack against Israel would be met with a response far more powerful than the military action Tehran has already witnessed.
Wed. Day 138 (July 15, 2026) (Day 85 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (46 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- Trump orders preparations for a massive attack against Iran within 72 hours.
- The U.S. struck multiple targets in Iran for the fifth straight day.
Thurs. Day 139 (July 16, 2026) (Day 86 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension) (47 days from the day Pres. Trump said he will declare total victory over Iran)
- Iran said it had carried out attacks on Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait in response to U.S. attacks on Iran.
Finally, are you Rapture Ready?
If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.