Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. © Copyright 2010 - 2026  All rights reserved. Daniel 11 Explained (condensed ‘one page’ commentary) ‘Matthew 24’ Explained (must match Revelation) The ‘Seals’ Explained (Revelation timeline revealed) Seven Churches Explained (Past & Present Church Prophecy) Note: ‘Sitemap’ gives a complete list of all pages (by category). Rapture Soon  The Iran War in Bible Prophecy   Getting right to the point: We are at the “appointed time” in Daniel 11:29, leading to the Abomination that causes Desolation, in Daniel 11:31, which is critically important because the Abomination is when the rapture will take place, as explained by Jesus in Matthew 24:15-31.  The Abomination also corresponds to the 6^th Seal in Revelation 6.  This’s not just my opinion; I have proven this basic timeline numerous times with facts from the Bible that are indisputable.  I give a few details below, but more is given on the homepage and elsewhere in the website.  The important thing, which is an occasion to rejoice, not argue, is that current events indicate that we are at the “appointed time.”  Daniel 11:29-31   [The War with Iran - Final Events before the Rapture] 29 "At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart.   Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 "His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.” Introduction   This passage of scripture shows that we are at the “appointed time” because the North invades the South, but the key deterrent is not the South but rather ‘Western ships’. That’s exactly the situation now, concerning the Iran War, because Iran is the North.  To be clear, I’m not just taking something out of context and applying it to the current situation; I have a complete interpretation of Daniel 11 (God’s Book of Truth) that has no gaps or contradictions like previous interpretations, of which there have only been two.  (Actually, it’s more like one and a half.)  My interpretation breaks from Matthew Henry’s 300-year old explanation at verse 4, and contains every empire from the Middle East  with verses getting more detailed towards the end, rather than the other way around, which is what you’d would expect from a chapter that was “sealed until the time of the end”. (Daniel 12:4)  Yet, God never said it would be sealed forever, just until the ‘time of the end’.   I did not come up with this interpretation on a spur of the moment whim.  God called me to study Daniel 11 in 1996.  At that time, I could tell that the previous interpretations were wrong because they had huge gaps, contradictions in timing, and made no sense.  As a result, I studied Middle Eastern history and current events for years, almost obsessively.  Some of the verses were obvious but others seemed impossible to find with resources from the late-90’s.  I gave up for several years because I wasn’t just going to plug something in that didn’t make sense.  I was inspired to restart my search in 2009/2010, and with advancements in the internet, I was able to complete the historical verses to verse 22, which was our current position at that time.  It was clear that Iran was the new  “king of the North”, starting in verse 21. God showed me that Daniel 11 is a history of Islam with battles between the Sunni and Shiite going back to the first ancestors of Muhammad, in Daniel 11:5.  It’s as though God made sure that Islam would stay divided because that was part of His plan to bring a prophetic end to Satan.  After all, Jesus said, “A kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, ... will not stand.” (Matt 12:25)    Now, in the time since 2013, verses 22-28 have also been fulfilled.  They describe key wars and events that contributed to Iran’s rise to power in the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon (ancient Mesopotamia), which is common to all ‘kings of the North’ in Daniel 11.    It’s amazing that the battles between the North and South are resuming in our lifetime.  As I said, Iran is the North, along with their proxies and allies.  Saudi Arabia is the South, along with the other Gulf countries and allies.  The current war has started and stopped several times, but the fact that Western ships are opposing Iran, while they are attacking the South, makes it fairly obvious that we are at the “appointed time.”  Now, to be clear, God’s ‘appointed time’ does not indicate an exact day, just a general range of time that is closely associated with this Iran war, which could be starting ‘again’ in the near future.  Current Events and Possibilities   I stress the word “again” because it fits the above prophecy where it says, “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart.” (Dan 11:29-30)  As I said, the war has had its starts and stops, and then there has been a long delay until after the US midterm elections, but Trump and Netanyahu have both indicated that attacks will resume after the elections.  Iran has warned that they are ready to respond, which likely means attacking the South “again.”    Another key element in the verse is that “the outcome will be different” and Iran will “lose heart.”  Now, “lose heart” doesn’t necessarily mean that Iran will surrender.  It just means they could become ‘disheartened, disappointed, or generally sad’.  In the first round of attacks, which began on 02-28-2026, and led to an MOU on 06-17-2026, Iran has had no reason to lose heart because they endured what the US and Israel had to offer and emerged in a stronger position than before.  So, for Iran to ‘lose heart’, the outcome would have to be ‘different’, meaning the US and Israel would have to inflict even more damage than before.  I think that’s about to happen because Trump and Netanyahu do not want to be remembered as failures.  In fact, Netanyahu has been chomping at the bit to go back into Iran, but Trump has held Israel back.  In the next round of attacks, I think Israel will go all out, and recent history has shown Israel to be ruthless when attacking their perceived enemies.  I mean, Trump and Netanyahu have seen what didn’t work with Iran, the first time, so I think they will go even harder this time.    Again, “lose heart” does not mean Iran will surrender.  In fact, the verses indicate that Iran could become more hostile towards Israel, when they “turn back and vent their fury  against the holy covenant.”  Of course, the “holy covenant” is Israel, or more accurately, the Jew’s possession of Palestine, which God promised to Abraham.  In the past, Iran has said that they are not opposed to all Jews, just their possession of Palestine (Zionism) and the way they have displaced the Palestinians and refused to enact a two-state solution.  Now, I fully expect Iran to bomb Israel this time, if Israel is involved in the attack, but after they “lose heart,” Iran could “vent their fury” more verbally, such as complaining about the plight of the Palestinians and the two state solution, which has international support.   Then, verse 30 continues, “He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant.”  Personally, I think that sentence shows the emergence of yet another party because “those” seems to indicate someone else who shares Iran’s animosity towards Israel’s possession of Palestine.  So, when verse 31 says, “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation,” it could be talking about that third party to whom Iran will be showing favor.    Personally, I have always thought that the uprising in Daniel 11:31 would come from the West Bank, simply due to its proximity to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  It could happen very quickly because the ‘temple fortress’ is likely the Western Wall, so if it’s ‘desecrated’, then the ‘daily sacrifice’ (prayer at the Wall) would naturally be halted temporarily until the Wall could be cleaned.  While that is happening, the Abomination could be set up, which just means ‘something hated by God’.  I know the prospect of such an uprising sounds impossible with Israel’s security, but the Hamas invasion of 10-7-2023 also seemed impossible.  If God wants His prophecy fulfilled, He can raise up a group to do it, as in Old Testament days.  One possible group that has built some strength in the West Bank is the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).  It has been reported that the PIJ relocated to the West Bank after the Gaza War.    Yet, before I explain more about the PIJ, let me explain a little bit about Iran’s religion. Iran is the only country where Twelver Shiite is the official state religion, which has been the case since 1501.  Twelver Shiite means they believe the 12^th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, did not die, but rather went into occultation, which means he was ‘taken or hidden’ (874 AD), but will “re-emerge during end times to establish peace and justice and redeem Islam.” They believe God (Allah) will “grant him permission to manifest himself when the Earth is filled with tyranny.”  Well, Iran refers to the US as the ‘great Satan’, and Israel as the ‘little Satan’, so I can’t imagine a greater tyranny than being attacked by both at the same time.  Iran’s government and religion are synonymous, so it’s natural for them to see this war as an attack on their religion.  In fact, during the so-called ‘40-day war’ in February, it was reported that US politicians and military leaders were calling it an ‘end time religious war’.    Getting back to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Times of Israel has reported that the PIJ have been moving to the West Bank since the start of the Gaza War and getting financing from Iran.  Recruitment has increased due to high unemployment caused by Israeli policies limiting work visas following the Oct 7, 2023 attack.  Historically, the PIJ are closer to Iran than Hamas because they sided with Assad, during the Syrian civil war, while Hamas sided with the rebels.  Analysts say the PIJ is better suited for Iran’s purpose because they are focused strictly on “chaos and resistance” rather than trying to hold political office like Hamas.  The most shocking part of the article was that the PIJ has a ‘gang’ from Jenin called “Brigade 313,” established and backed by Iran since 2021, who derives its name from the number of people set to accompany the second coming of Imam Mahdi, during end times.  As I said in the previous paragraph, the Imam Mahdi’s return comes from Shia Twelver beliefs concerning end times, so the name ‘Brigade 313’ also refers to end times.   The PIJ could be “those who forsake the holy covenant” because they don’t believe the Jews should have a state at all, at least not in Palestine, which is what ‘holy covenant’ means.    Naturally, I don’t know for sure if it will be the PIJ or someone else from the West Bank, but that is one possibility.  For many years, there have been various Palestinians calling for a Third Intifada, which literally means “armed uprising,” just like the verse says.  There have already been two infadas, 1987-1993 and 2000-2005, so another is past due.  A third intifada hasn’t materialized, probably because the Palestinians know the blow back from Israel would be severe.  Yet, the settler violence in the West Bank is already severe, with little or no help from the current right-wing government, so at some point, they could decide that they have nothing to lose.  In any event, it will happen when God is ready.   Why the “Appointed Time” is Important    As I said, the “appointed time” is very significant because it leads to the Abomination  and the 6^th Seal Rapture.  That’s immediately followed by the ‘post-rapture tribulation’, which is the Trumpets and Bowls, in Revelation, ending with Armageddon (the 7^th Bowl).  That’s followed by Jesus’ 1000-year reign on earth, which ends with the Gog and Magog War, which destroys the earth.  That is followed by the White Throne Judgement (Rev 20), and eternity with God in a new heaven and new earth.  That general timeline from Revelation is indisputable because anything else re-arranges and omits from God’s prophecy in Revelation, which is forbidden in Revelation 22:19.   One reason I know the rapture happens at the Abomination is that Matthew 24:15-31 has two different groups, just like Revelation 7, the 144,000 Jews and the Christians.  The 6^th Seal is the rapture because it has the same signs in the sun, moon and stars as the rapture in Matt 24.  The two groups in Revelation 7 happen simultaneously, since they are ‘between’ the 6^th and 7^th Seals, and the Trumpet plagues can’t start until the 7^th Seal is done. (Rev 8)  Thus, the two groups in Matt 24 are also simultaneous, following the Abomination, unlike what post-tribs say.  There are more discussions on the homepage and Matt 24 page. More Scriptures about the Appointed Time   If you go back to Daniel 11:27, which describes the JCPOA, it says, “an end will still come at the appointed time.”  Then, two verses later, it describes the appointed time, as I’ve explained above, when Western ships oppose the North, which is happening now.  In my opinion, having God say, ‘an end comes at the appointed time’, is significant.  Notice the verse says ‘an’ end, not ‘the’ end.  That’s because the Abomination and 6^th Seal Rapture is not ‘the’ end.  Yet, it’s an end that starts God’s ending in Revelation.    Another verse that confirms this is Daniel 9:27, which says, “He will set up the abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”  The ‘end that is decreed’ is literally the Trumpets and Bowls in Revelation, ending with Armageddon (the 7^th Bowl), which is ‘poured out’ on the antichrist and armies of the beast.  The ‘end that is decreed’ starts with the Abomination.   Thus, the Abomination is far from the end, but it’s “an end” because it ends the Seals, which are critical because the Seals are the ‘great tribulation’ (past tense in Rev 7:14), which is where the great multitude of Christians come from who arrive in heaven in Rev 7:9.  People generally confuse the ‘great tribulation’ (Seals) with the ‘post-rapture tribulation’ (Trumpets and Bowls) because most people don’t realize that Seals 1-5 were during the past 2000-years. (also on homepage)    All post-tribs try to overlap the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls, which is obviously wrong and omits from God’s prophecy in Revelation, making them by definition: false prophets.  Don’t listen to them.  And contrary to popular belief from the old-school pre-tribs who put the rapture in Rev 4, where it doesn’t belong, I see no indication that any gentile gets a second chance after the 6^th Seal rapture.  In my opinion, only the 144,000 Jews who are sealed by God, in Rev 7, get a second chance, due to God’s promise to David. (2 Sam 7:16) Thus, you can see why the Abomination is considered “an end,” since it ends the Seals  and thus crushes the hopes of all who don’t accept Jesus as their personal savior in advance.   How to be saved   I’m not trying to scare anyone; I’m just being honest.  If anyone who is not saved is reading this page, and the rapture hasn’t happened yet, then it’s not too late.  Anyone can be saved very easily if they are sincere.  Paul explained how in Romans 10:9 below. Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart  that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   Thus, all you need to do is ‘pray to God’, out loud, and confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, who died on the cross for your sins, and arose again as the Bible says.  At that point, if you were sincere and ‘believed in your heart’, then you are saved.  Don’t worry; you will know if you were sincere, as will God.  If so, you will be a new person in Spirit.  More below.   God’s Promise of Fulfillment at the Appointed Time   A friend emailed me this amazing verse, which mentions the ‘appointed time’ and perfectly connects Daniel to Revelation in the context of which I’ve been speaking.  The context is perfect because Habakkuk asks God how long He will tolerate and remain silent while the wicked triumph and live in luxury.  God’s answer obviously refers to the rapture because it is followed by a series of ‘woes’ to those who do evil in the world.  Habakkuk 2:3 “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”   This verse perfectly connects what I’ve been saying about Revelation and the Seals to the “appointed time” in Daniel 11:29.  God says, “It will certainly come and will not delay,”  meaning the Abomination and Rapture.  Yet, God admits that time will seem to “linger.”  In my opinion, that is happening now because it’s pretty evident that the appointed time refers to the Iran War.  Yet, the war drags on with both sides exchanging warnings.  But, God says, “wait for it,” because His timing is not like ours.  Be assured, it will come.   What Happens Next?   Once the war resumes, the appointed time could take days, weeks, or months because several more things must happen to fulfill the prophecy.  It could happen fast or slow.  As I said, the ‘outcome must be different’ in some way to make Iran ‘lose heart’.  Then, they will ‘vent their fury’ towards Israel, which could just be verbal, but for how long?  Then, a surprise uprising will set up the Abomination, which is when the rapture will happen.  Like I said, all that could happen very fast, or drag out for some period of time (linger), but at least God gave us something to watch for.  I will try to update as things progress.   In general, it is not surprising that God told us what to watch for, ahead of time.  ‘Prophesying the future and making it happen’ has always been a characteristic of God that He uses to distinguish Himself from false idol gods, as proclaimed through Isaiah below.  Isaiah 44:6-7 "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:  I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.   Who then is like me?  Let him proclaim it.  Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. The Parable of the Ten Virgins  (full text)    It’s important to be prepared to wait, with a sincere heart, for as long as it takes, like the five wise virgins, because “the bridegroom was a long time in coming.” (Matt 25:5) After all, at first, all ten virgins were watching, but the five foolish virgins were left behind and Jesus said ‘He didn’t know them’. (v.12)  I think that is characteristic of the 2^nd example of seeds in the Parable of the Sower because some fell on rocky places with shallow soil.  The plants sprang up quickly, yet got scorched and withered because they had no root.  Jesus explained that a person can hear the word and receive it with joy (perhaps start watching), but they might not last because trouble and persecution causes them to fall away, if they have no root. (Matt 13:5-6; 20-21)  Another example explains how Jesus is the Rock on which to build your house.  A wise man hears God’s Word and puts it into practice, so he can weather any storm.  However, a foolish man does not put Jesus’ words into practice, so the storm causes his house to fall with a great crash. (Matt 7:24-27)  Related page: Daniel 11 Explained (condensed ‘one page’ commentary) Related page:  ‘Matthew 24’ Explained (must match Revelation) - *Other factors that might narrow the timing a little more:  Full Moons in the Bible   Personally, I think there’s a very good chance that the abomination and rapture could happen ‘on or near’ a full moon (+/- 2 days) because almost all the biggest events in the Bible happened near full moons.  [Note: A full moon occurs on the 14^th or 15^th day of the lunar month because a lunar month averages 29.5 days and starts on a ‘new moon’ (dark).]    For example, the Biblical Flood started on the 17^th day of the 2^nd month (Gen 7:11) and the ark landed on Mt. Ararat on the 17^th day of the 7^th month (Gen 8:4), which means the Biblical Flood both started and stopped near full moons.    Secondly, God defined the original Passover as being on the 15^th day of the 1^st month (Exodus 12:6), which started their journey from Egypt.  The Israelites reached Mt. Sinai on the 15^th day of the 4^th month (Exodus 19:1), so their journey to visit God both started and stopped on full moons, just like the flood.  Then, God descended on Mt. Sinai with fire and thunder on the 3^rd day, which was the 17^th of the 4^th month, still near the full moon.    Of course, Jesus was crucified on the morning of Passover, which was the 15^th day of the 1^st month, and raised on the 3^rd day, which was the 17^th of the month, very similar to God’s appearance on Mt. Sinai.    Another example is when the Israelites began marching around Jericho, on the 15^th day of the 1^st month (Josh 5:10), which essentially ended their journey and began their conquest of the Promised Land, which means their 40-year Exodus began and ended on full moons.    Additionally, Purim is near a full moon because the war that it commemorates was on the 14^th and 15^th days of the 12^th month. (Esther 9:21)    Plus, God defined the Feast of Tabernacles as starting on the 15^th day of the 7^th month, which is a full moon. (Lev 23:34)  The Feast of Tabernacles is the only feast that is specifically mentioned as being celebrated during Jesus’ 1000-year reign on earth. (Zech 14:16-19)   So, if the 6^th Seal rapture happens near a full moon, then the Seals would also start and stop near full moons, just like the Flood and Exodus, since the 1^st Seal was the Resurrection (17^th).    Consequently, if that happens, the 2300-day ‘post-rapture tribulation’ would also start and stop near full moons because 2300-days is almost exactly 78-lunar months (within 1-day).    Therefore, based on Bible history, there’s a very good chance that the abomination and rapture could happen near a full moon.  I mean, if the Flood and Exodus started and stopped near full moons, then why not the Seals and 2300-days (Trumpets, and Bowls)? Jewish Holidays or Feasts   To be clear, no one can predict the exact day of the rapture, but just like full moons increase the odds, Jewish holidays and feasts also increase the odds.  That’s because of the prophecy in Amos below. Amos 8: 8-10 8 "Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn?  The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt. 9 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight.  10 I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing into weeping.   This prophecy is referring to the Rapture because the sun being darkened is a sign of the Rapture, both in Matt 24:29 and the 6^th Seal in Rev 6:12.  Plus, this passage is particularly interesting because the “land trembling” links to the earthquake in the 6^th Seal.  Then, the water ‘rising like the Nile’ and subsequently ‘sinking’ sounds just like a tsunami, which can be triggered by an earthquake.  That connects to Jesus’ prophecy in Luke: “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.” (Luke 21:25)    Plus, if the earthquake of the 6^th Seal produces a tsunami, it will cause people to flee to the mountains (or higher ground), following the Abomination (whether they understand what is happening or not), which will fulfill Jesus’ other prophecy in Matthew 24:16.  The 6^th Seal could actually be multiple earthquakes, but I think at least one will produce a tsunami to fulfill Amos 8:8.   Finally, this passage mentions ‘Jewish feasts turning to mourning’ and ‘singing to weeping’ because Jews do not believe that Jesus was or is their Messiah.  They will mourn because they will realize their mistake very quickly, after fleeing to the mountains, following the 6^th Seal.  They will see Jesus (the Lamb) coming in the sky with power and great glory. (Rev 6:15-17) Related page:  Salvation to Maturity (a simple guide) Jesus said, “It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching  when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.”  (Luke 12:37)   Praise Jesus. Possibility for Spring   As I said, no one can predict the rapture with 100% accuracy, but I think God gave us clues, so His servants can watch if they so desire.  After all, there’s a reward for those who watch (Luke 12:37), so there must be clues to narrow it down.  Sure, some people point out that Jesus will come like a ‘thief in the night’, but Paul further explained that fellow Christians who are ‘not in darkness’ would ‘not be surprised like a thief’. (1 Thess 5:2-4)    There are two Jewish holidays in the Spring that I would pay attention to because both are symbolic, and both are celebrated on full moons.  The first is Purim, March 23-24, which commemorates the Jewish victory over ancient Persia, which is modern Iran.  The second is Passover, April 22^nd through April 29^th, which is symbolic for multiple reasons.  Plus, I personally find it interesting that Passover-2027 will be 3.5-years from Hamas’ attack on 10-07-2023, which was at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles.  Everyone knows that there are 7-year periods in the Bible, but half of that, 3.5-years, can also be significant, such as the 1260-days that the two witnesses prophesy in Revelation 11:3.  When you think about it, the two witnesses will arrive in Jerusalem immediately after the rapture, so if Passover is indeed the date, then their 1260-days would complete another 7-year period from Hamas’ attack.  I don’t know if that means anything, but I find it interesting, since Hamas’ attack really got the ball rolling on much of the current situation.    Anyway, if God did wait until Purin or Passover, in March or April, that would give plenty of time for His prophecy to develop concerning Iran ‘losing heart’ and ‘venting their fury’.  I hope I’m wrong and Jesus comes back sooner, but that ‘strangulation’ could take a while.  Plus, Jesus said, “Pray that your flight will not take place in the winter or on the Sabbath.”  (Matt 24:20)  Of course, that doesn’t mean Jesus couldn’t come back in the winter, but it increases the odds that the “no war, no peace” could drag on until Spring. That’s just my opinion or observation on the current situation; things can always change.  Come Lord Jesus. Is a “Different Outcome” already unfolding?   After reading a recent article from Al Jazeera on the effects of the current US blockade on Iran, it dawned on me that we could already be seeing the “different outcome,” but it’s just unfolding in very slow motion.  I mean, the verse talks about ‘western ship opposition’, but that can take on many forms.  The bombings and assassinations that Israel and the US tried initially didn’t result in the desired outcome because Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and seemingly had the upper hand.  Now, the US is trying a different approach by conducting an economic war on Iran.  I think that satisfies the verse because a naval blockade is still technically a combat maneuver or act of war.  It definitely fits the verse because it’s literally western ship opposition that is effectively changing the war’s outcome.    To elaborate on the effects of the blockade, let me recap some of the key dates and events.  The US and Israel attacked on Feb 28, 2026, which resulted in Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz.  The US started a blockade of Iranian ports on April 13^th.  Trump caved to pressure and signed an MOU, in mid-June, that was clearly in Iran’s favor.  That allowed a brief opening of the Strait, but the MOU fell apart weeks later, and the US blockade resumed on July 14^th.  Yet, Iran took advantage of the opening and shipped out a lot of oil that had already been loaded.  According to the same article, the last of that oil reached its destination in China around mid-Oct, so there is no more floating outside of the Gulf.  Apparently, China takes about two months to complete payment on oil received, so Iran should be receiving their last payment around mid-December.  That’s what I meant when I said the events are unfolding in very slow motion.    Therefore, as of this update, it could be at least another month before Iran starts feeling the effects of the reduced revenues.  Supposedly, Iran has reduced their dependence on oil revenue by raising taxes, but at least one-third of their budget still comes from oil.  Year-to-year inflation in October stood around 89 percent.  Next, Iran might have to reduce salaries, social programs, and fuel subsidies, all of which will hurt the poor the most.    So, unless Iran tries to break the blockade by force, I don’t think much will change because the Times of Israel has reported that Trump finally understands that the MOU was a mistake, since it allowed Iran to ship so much oil.  There are currently no ongoing negotiations because Iran is sticking to their demand that the US must fulfill at least seven points that were in the MOU.  They include lifting the naval blockade, sanctions relief, releasing frozen assets, and ending hostilities on all fronts.  Those are all items in the MOU that Trump signed, but now, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, described Iran’s demands as “unacceptable”.  There have been many attacks on ships and radar stations, on both sides, but neither wants to return to an all-out war.  I don’t see either side backing down, any time soon, because neither wants to be seen as surrendering.  Yet, Iranian parliament speaker, Ghalibaf, recently told Al Jazeera that Iran must move past this situation of “no war, no peace.”  As analysis Ali Vaez put it, “what Washington considers a sustainable stalemate, Tehran sees as slow-motion strangulation.”    At some point, in the coming months, that strangulation from ‘western ships’ could cause Iran to ‘lose heart’, which would be a perfect fulfillment of the prophecy.  Of course, it could go a different way, but that is one very good possibility.  The next step, after that, would be Iran turning their fury towards Israel.  In fact, there may have been a recent preview of that, when Mohsen Rezaei, secretary-general of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said, “The first item in our diplomacy with the United States is ending the war on all fronts, particularly in Lebanon.”  Of course, that ‘first item’ involves Israel, whom so far, has refused to cooperate.  Update on current events: 11-14-2026 Update: 11-14-2026