Situational awareness of Iran and beyond

The situation with Iran and the Middle East continues in every aspect. The U.S. administration continues to face a conflict of interest in the situation with Iran. Disruptions have continued with commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. War has continued to wage in the Houthi/Saudi conflict. What has also continued is interesting statements by leading officials, as these are times of testing that reveal true character. Situational awareness can be defined as a comprehensive understanding of a situation to make sensible conclusions and applications. Situational awareness is possible with concise periodic updates without political bias and with Biblical comparisons, referencing various credible sources.

Conflict of Interest

It is in the U.S. administration’s interest to quickly resolve the situation with Iran. This is because of globalization and the emphasis on the “golden age”. The U.S. is partly responsible for global oil supply shortcomings because of its blockade on Iranian oil exports [1], and U.S. sanctions on Iranian tanker ships has contributed to increased global shipping rates [2]. One of the demands that Iran has for making a deal is that the U.S. withdraw from the region [2]. The U.S. administration might make that concession.

Recent Incidents

The UKMTO acknowledges that it is struggling to provide accurate comprehensive reporting of attacks on commercial shipping in the region, and most ships that have been hit have refused to report being attacked [3]. On October 16th, the very large crude carrier M/T ST3 was hit 68 nautical miles northeast of Al Jubayl (Saudi Arabia) in the Persian Gulf, and the crew were evacuated [4]. Also on October 16th, the very large crude carrier M/T Loyalty was hit around the same general area, reportedly by rocket propelled grenade from a small boat [5]. On October 20th, the M/T Al Dasma, operated by Kuwait Oil Tanker Company, was hit 11 nautical miles west of Bukha, Oman [6], correlating with UKMTO report #179 of the attack causing a fire that has been extinguished. Also on October 20th, apparently in correlation with UKMTO report #180, the M/T Soyia was targeted at the Basrah anchorage area [6], about 30 nautical miles southeast of Al Faw, Iraq [7].

Houthi War

The Houthis have been receiving machined metal parts identified as components for ballistic missiles that are equivalent to the Iranian “Kheibar Shekan 2” and “Fattah 1” [8]. As described in the article Aerospace warfare in the Middle East and other developments, these are quasi-hypersonic ballistic missiles. The specialized parts have been found on container shipments from China to the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah [8]. The implication is that the Houthis are not strictly dependent on Iran for such components. The Houthis have used ballistic missiles to attack various facilities in Saudi Arabia. In Yemen, fighting continues around the strategic city of Taiz, as Saudi-backed forces aligned with the internationally recognized government of Yemen attempt to break the siege of Houthi forces that have fully surrounded the city [9]. Unless there is some kind of peace agreement that is reached, the Houthis will fight to the end, because martyrdom in zealously combatting for a perceived just cause is regarded as honorable and worthwhile. For that matter, the same goes for the IRGC in Iran.

Recent Statements

In a recent interview, the U.S. secretary of state said that the United States and the west are the heirs of civilization from Greece and from Rome. Interestingly, Daniel chapter 2 gives an overview of world powers throughout the times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). In chronological order, there is the Babylonian empire, the Medo-Persian empire, then the Greco-Macedonian empire, and then the legs of iron representing the Roman empire, which morph into the feet of iron mixed with clay. The Roman empire was not conquered but went into decline, and its vestiges have extended through the west and the United States. The statement by the U.S. secretary of state makes a direct connection to the ancient Greeks and Romans, from a secular perspective. October 19th, the prime minister of Israel stated that the current president of the United States is “by far the greatest friend Israel has ever had and will have in the White House” [10]. This statement expresses Israeli sentiment, and it is known from John 5:43 that Israel will receive someone that comes in his own name. Similarly in July 2023, the current president of the United States was awarded the silver Torah crown designated as Crown of Jerusalem [11]. Interestingly, the word for crown in Hebrew is “keter”, which symbolizes royalty, power, and honor; it is the ultimate symbol of honor [12]. What the current U.S. president has done for Israel is moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in accordance with recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. While these can be considered good, there is nothing outstanding about these recognitions. The same can be said about the Abraham Accords, which were normalization agreements that have benefited the participant Arab countries. There is nothing extraordinary about normalization. Especially for Jews and evangelicals, be wary of deception in this matter of his support for Israel. After all, the Lord Jesus said first and foremost in his Matthew 24-25 discourse on the end of the age, “Take heed that no one deceives you.”

References

[1] September 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook. U.S. Energy Information Administration.

[2] Cicurel, A., Y. Tobin, J. Brody, and S. Havdala. Iran War Update: October 15-16, 2026. The Jewish Institute for National Security of America.

[3] 2026, October 16. UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area Overview, Report No. 11. UK Maritime Trade Operations.

[4] Howard, G. 2026, October 18. UKMTO struggling to accurately report Hormuz attacks. Seatrade Maritime News.

[5] Bergman, J. 2026, October 19. Middle East: VLCCs hit in Gulf, tug struck off UAE, LNG carrier takes fire in Gulf of Aden. Riviera Maritime Media.

[6] Bergman, J. 2026, October 21. KOTC tanker on fire and adrift in Strait of Hormuz; STS operation targeted in Iraq. Riviera Maritime Media.

[7] Hand, M. 2026, October 21. Fire on KOTC vessel struck off Oman, tanker hit near Iraq. Seatrade Maritime News.

[8] 2026, October. Houthi Ballistic Missile Manufacturing. Conflict Armament Research.

[9] Fattah, A., B. Rezaei, R. Reddy, and K. Campa. Iran Update, October 21, 2026. Critical Threats Project.

[10] Freiberg, N. 2026, October 19. Live Update: ‘We have a job to finish’: Netanyahu invokes Iran in call with Trump after endorsement; US president says PM treated ‘unfairly’. The Times of Israel.

[11] Swindle, D. 2023, July 16. Israel Heritage Foundation awards Trump ‘crown of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem News Syndicate.

[12] Frankel, E. and B. P. Teutsch. 1992. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols.