The United States military is prepared to strike Iran, and President Trump said this morning that a final decision will be made within the next ten days. The buildup has been breathtaking in speed and scale and for those watching with eyes of faith, the timing is remarkable.

How We Got Here

It began in January, when widespread protests erupted across Iran against the Islamic regime. Security forces responded with a brutal crackdown, killing tens of thousands of demonstrators. President Trump voiced strong support for the Iranian people, warning Tehran to stop the killing and declaring that "help is on the way." He initially threatened military action directly tied to the regime's violence against its own citizens, warning that a future US attack on Iran would make last June's Operation Midnight Hammer "look like peanuts."

A US Navy F-35C in flight

While a strike during the protests never materialized, and Trump dialed down his threats the US military has been far from idle in the meantime and the administration has once again ramped up the threats and made it clear they are intent on ending Iran’s apocalyptic ambitions.

A Massive Military Buildup

What has followed is a military buildup unlike anything the region has seen in over two decades. In late January, the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, with 90 aircraft and thousands of personnel, sailed from Southeast Asian waters to the region. A short time later, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the most advanced carrier the US has, set sail for the Middle East. Fighter jets and refueling aircraft have been repositioned, and air defenses have been moved in. There are reports this deployment rivals the force assembled before the Iraq invasion.

The BBC reports “the build-up of US warships and aircraft, as well as eight existing airbases in the region would allow it to conduct a ‘fairly intensive and sustained strike rate’ of about 800 sorties a day, with the aim of rendering any Iranian responses ‘ineffective’”

Israel and America: On the Same Page

The coordination between Washington and Jerusalem has been deliberate and public. First, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the head of Israeli military intelligence visited the Pentagon in late January. Then Prime Minister Netanyahu moved up his scheduled Washington visit and flew to meet Trump at the White House on February 12. Before departing, Netanyahu told reporters his top priority was to present Israel's principles for any deal with Iran, but he is under no illusions of the likely futility of these negotiations.  

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed there is "extraordinary alignment between Israel and the United States" on Iran, adding that as far as he knows, the two nations share the same red lines. Whether an eventual strike would be a joint U.S.-Israeli operation remains to be seen, but Israel is clearly preparing contingencies.

Has Diplomacy Been Exhausted?

Two rounds of talks have taken place—first in Oman on February 6, then in Geneva on February 18. Both ended without a breakthrough. Although Iran's Foreign Minister said "guiding principles" had been agreed upon, Vice President Vance stated bluntly that Tehran has yet to acknowledge all of Washington's red lines.

February, 2026. Iran's authoritarian leader Ayatollah Khameini delivers an address marking the 47th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution

The main U.S. demands are Iran must cease all uranium enrichment, give up its enriched uranium stockpile, end its ballistic missile program, and stop supporting regional proxy groups. Supreme Leader Khamenei publicly denied Trump's conditions and declared that Trump would never be capable of toppling the Islamic Republic.

The administration appears to have been building the diplomatic record deliberately, showing the world, and Congress, that every avenue was pursued before resorting to force. The White House continues to say it prefers a deal, but some kind of military action seems inevitable unless Iran radically changes course.

What Would an Attack Look Like?

Sources familiar with planning say the U.S. military is prepared for "sustained, weeks-long operations." Potential targets include air defense systems, uranium enrichment sites, ballistic missile depots and launchers, drone manufacturing plants, Revolutionary Guard and Basij militia bases, and possibly the regime's leadership itself.

Trump has said openly that regime change "would be the best thing that could happen" in Iran. But Iran is a vast country with hardened and deeply buried nuclear facilities. It has promised to retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz—through which 20% of the world's oil flows—and striking U.S. bases across the region. Iran and Russia have announced joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman. The complexity is enormous, and the potential for escalation is real. 

The Purim Parallel

For Bible-believing readers, the timing of these events is striking. Purim is just weeks away and right around the time the full military force is expected to be in place. The story of Purim, recorded in the Book of Esther, tells of a moment when the Jewish people faced annihilation at the hands of a wicked official in the Persian Empire which was centered in modern-day Iran. Through God's providence, and the bravery of Esther and Mordechai, the plot was overturned. The Jewish people were delivered, rose up against their enemies, and were saved.

Esther denouncing Haman, by Ernest Normand

No one can say with certainty how events will unfold in the coming weeks. But those who trust in the God of Israel, know that he is always keeping watch over His people. A regime that has called for the destruction of the Jewish state, funded terror across the region, and murdered its own people in the streets now faces a gathering storm.

Whatever comes, pray for wisdom for American and Israeli leaders, protection for the innocent, courage for those who stand against evil, and for true peace. And let us all be found like Mordechai and Esther, boldly speaking up for truth!

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14