If there is going to be “peace in the Middle East”, why are Israel, Iran and Hezbollah feverishly preparing for war? I am watching the Middle East very closely, because I expect something really big to happen. In fact, just hours ago the IDF conducted major airstrikes in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Iranians are stockpiling missiles like never before. The clock is ticking, and the Middle East could potentially erupt in flames at any moment.
A lot of people out there seem to think that Hezbollah has been totally defeated.
But of course that is not the case at all.
It is still very formidable, and it is being reported that Hezbollah is “working on rebuilding the Radwan Force and retrieving weapons from its bunkers”…
The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that “the Israeli army is preparing for multiple scenarios on the northern front with Lebanon.”
The newspaper added that “Israeli intelligence has detected increased activity by Hezbollah in several Lebanese regions, including the north of the Litani River, the Bekaa Valley, and in Dahiyeh.” It noted that “Hezbollah is working on rebuilding the Radwan Force and retrieving weapons from its bunkers that were previously targeted by Israeli airstrikes.”
In response, Israeli officials have developed a plan that involves “wide-scale assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders and strikes on key positions deep inside Lebanon”…
The Israeli army has intensified military preparations along the northern front, amid growing indications that Israel is preparing for a major confrontation with Hezbollah, according to reports from Israeli media.
Army Radio cited informed sources as saying that the anticipated operation will involve wide-scale assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders and strikes on key positions deep inside Lebanon. The sources added that the operation could be launched “at any moment,” depending on developments along the border.
The reports suggest Israel aims to neutralize Hezbollah’s leadership and infrastructure, even as a fragile ceasefire remains officially in place.
Of course we can now see this plan in action.
In recent days, there have been “wide-scale assassinations of senior Hezbollah commanders”. In fact, a number of the top leaders of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force have recently been killed…
The IDF claimed that it had killed “approximately 20 Hezbollah terrorists whose activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
On Wednesday, the IDF said it killed Hussein Jaber Dib, a member of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force. Israel alleged that Dib had “advanced terror attacks against Israel and its citizens.”
Additionally, on Monday, the IDF confirmed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon. Muhammad Ali Hadid, a senior member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, was eliminated in Nabatieh, while another operative was struck in Ayta ash Shab after being seen collecting intelligence on Israeli positions, according to the Israeli military.
And we are also witnessing airstrikes on Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanese territory…
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that it had started striking Hezbollah military targets in southern Lebanon.
The IDF said it struck terrorist infrastructure and several weapon storage facilities that belonged to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force on Thursday. The military also alleged that the Radwan Force was working to “reestablish terrorist infrastructure” that was “intended to harm the State of Israel.”
“The weapons storage facilities were constructed in the center of civilian-populated areas. This is yet another example of the Hezbollah terrorist organization’s strategy to cynically and brutally exploit Lebanese civilians as human shields as it operates out of civilian areas,” the IDF said in a press release.
There is no point in pretending.
Israel and Hezbollah are at war again.
Hezbollah is ruling out any negotiations, and they are warning that they will fight to defend their interests…
The attacks come as Hezbollah issued a firm rejection of any political negotiations with Israel, saying such talks would “not serve the national interest”. The statement followed mounting pressure from the United States and Egypt for Lebanon to begin direct dialogue with Israel, the AFP news agency reported. Al Jazeera could not independently verify those claims.
“We reaffirm our legitimate right to defend ourselves against an enemy that imposes war on our country and does not cease its attacks,” Hezbollah said, referring to ongoing Israeli air raids despite a ceasefire agreed to in November 2024.
Lebanon and Israel remain technically at war, with communication limited to a United Nations-backed monitoring mechanism involving France and the US. The two sides meet separately under UN auspices but do not engage in direct talks.
While all of this has been going on, the Iranians have also been preparing for another round of fighting.
Iran has been feverishly stockpiling missiles, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is claiming that his nation’s missile forces are now “far greater than during the 12-day war”…
“The Islamic Republic’s approach was to rely on domestically produced military equipment, and the result was that those who initially demanded unconditional surrender ended up accepting an unconditional ceasefire on the 12th day…International relations are based on power. We must be strong, and the armed forces have gone above and beyond in this regard. Our missile power today is far greater than during the 12-day war.”
I don’t think that he is exaggerating.
Apparently Iran has imported 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate from China since the end of September…
U.S. and allied intelligence have flagged Iran’s arsenal as not just large, but also evolving in sophistication, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing the missile program in September as an “unacceptable risk.”
Since the end of September, Iran has reportedly received 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate—a missile fuel precursor, enough for roughly 500 ballistic missiles—from China, Western intelligence sources told CNN last week.
But when it comes to the Iranians, the much bigger potential threat is their nuclear program.
The Iranians have vowed to rebuild it stronger than ever, and right now the IAEA has absolutely no idea what is going on at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan…
Iran must “seriously improve” cooperation with the United Nations inspectors to avoid heightening tensions with the West, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi.
Grossi told the FT that while the IAEA has carried out about a dozen inspections in Iran since hostilities with Israel in June, it had not been given access to nuclear facilities such as Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which were bombed by the United States.
We are supposed to believe that the Iranian nuclear program has been set back for a long time and is no longer an imminent threat.
I am not buying that.
Elsewhere, Russian forces continue to march forward in Ukraine.
The battle for the fortress city of Pokrovsk is nearing an end, and even the New York Times is admitting that the Russians are “close to capturing” it…
Russia is concentrating its firepower and troops on the small, battered city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, apparently pushing its forces close to capturing what has become a gateway to the war’s most fiercely contested region.
After more than a year of fighting, Pokrovsk, a railroad hub in the Donetsk region, has been turned largely into rubble, its prewar population of 60,000 now reduced to fewer than 1,300 residents. Ukrainian soldiers defending the city report intense combat. Nearly one-third of all the battles along the front line, which stretches almost 750 miles, are in Pokrovsk, and half of Russia’s attacks with deadly glide bombs are focused on the city, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on Monday. Those numbers could not be independently confirmed.
Some of Ukraine’s best units have been trying to defend Pokrovsk, but now it is clear the the city will fall and western experts are acknowledging that the wise move would be to withdraw those forces so that they can fight another day…
“At this stage Ukrainian forces should be withdrawing rather than trying to stay in a collapsing pocket,” said Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment who focuses on the Ukrainian conflict and recently visited troops near Pokrovsk.
The situation was looking “increasingly precarious,” he said and “nobody is sure about how many troops actually remain.” Whatever the number, “at this stage of the war it is exceedingly difficult to extract forces under fire control of enemy drones.”
But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refuses to do that.
He has apparently decided that Pokrovsk will be defended to the last man, and so a lot of good soldiers will be needlessly lost…
The next news From Ukraine, and again about Pokrovsk. According to Ukrainian media, despite criticism, including from the military, there will be no retreat from Pokrovsk. The city’s garrison has already been condemned.
Ukrainian UAV expert Sergei “Flash” Beskrestnov reported today that Zelenskyy has decided to hold Pokrovsk to the last Ukrainian soldier. According to him, the General Staff has decided to concentrate reserves on Pokrovsk, regardless of losses. According to the General Staff, the city is too important for further defense; the entire Dnipropetrovsk region lies behind it, and there isn’t a single strong line of defense within its borders. In short, Pokrovsk supposedly protects Dnipropetrovsk from being captured by Russian forces.
If Zelensky feels this strongly, I would like to see him gear up and head out to the front lines.
Of course he would never actually put himself in any danger.
In ancient times, kings would go out and fight with their armies.
If politicians were forced to do that in this day and time, there would be a lot less war.
Sadly, I expect war to continue to be a major theme in 2026, and that is not good news for any of us.
Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.
About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written nine other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing. You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter. Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.