opinion State of affairs: Iran war and beyond

There are no lulls in the situation with Iran and beyond. The Houthis are zealous in their fight against a coalition of Saudi Arabia and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. There have been a few verified attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf collectively over the past week. Iraq, which shares a lengthy border with Iran, has especially been affected by the war in Iran. On the subject of recent statements, there have been more that are indicative of trends and characteristics. This article, which summarizes recent events without political bias, with Biblical comparisons, and using credible sources as references, concludes with directing the attention upward.

Houthi Ambitions

The Houthis seek to control oil and natural gas resources in Yemen [1]. About 80% of Yemen’s oil reserves are in the Masila Basin of east-central Yemen, and oil also occurs in the Marib Basin [2]. The governorate of Marib, which borders Houthi-controlled Yemen, is where there are oil fields and an oil refinery to the east of the city of Marib [3]. Houthi forces have been fighting in attempts to capture the city of Marib for some time [3]. The Houthis are in control of the Ras Isa floating terminal which had previously been used for loading ships to export oil from the Marib oil fields as connected by pipeline [4]. The Houthis are engaged in several attritional battles against Saudi-backed forces aligned with the internationally recognized government of Yemen and are unlikely to achieve additional major victories in the immediate future [5]. The Houthis’ ballistic missile capabilities are an ongoing threat to Saudi Arabia and regularly there are claims of ballistic missile attacks by the Houthis and claims of interceptions by the Saudi-led coalition. On October 26th, the Saudis carried out airstrikes on Houthi ballistic missile assets including two launchers in Sanaa, five missile storage tunnels, four launch pads, and a missile depot [6].

Recent Incidents and Iraq

On October 23rd, the M/T Leonora Kosan, a liquified petroleum gas (LPG) carrier, was struck about 6 nautical miles northeast of Limah, Oman [7], apparently corresponding with UKMTO report #181. Also on October 23rd, an unspecified tanker was struck in the Strait of Hormuz and disabled [8]. On October 26th, an unspecified vessel was attacked and on fire [9], about 63 nautical miles southeast of Al Faw, Iraq [10]. Nearly all of Iraq’s oil exports are pumped by pipeline for loading onto tanker ships at the Basra Oil Terminal [11], located 31 miles offshore to the southeast of Al Faw [12]. Like other Arab gulf nations, Iraq has suffered economically from the disruption to commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq is also troubled with lack of electricity, as exacerbated by economic shortcomings and sanctions that prevent financial transactions with Iran for importing natural gas [11]. The Iraqi government, as led by its new prime minister as of May, has struggled either in its ability or willingness to exert control over Iran-backed militant groups in Iraq. [13].

Recent Statements

According to the prime minister of Israel in statements made on October 23rd, it cannot be expected that the United States will continue to provide financial aid to Israel, because the U.S. has changed [14]. That needs no commentary other than that the change in the U.S. has already taken affect, as indicated by usage of the past tense. On October 27th, the president of the United States stated that the war in Iran “will end whenever I want it to end” [15]. Firstly, as a matter of the obvious, a war involves two parties and does not end unilaterally. Secondly, this strong-willed attitude is characteristic of Daniel 11:36. The eleventh chapter of Daniel is about Antiochus Epiphanies, however there are foreshadowing characteristics of a future person. This person will a lead a restored Roman empire but will not regard the gods of the Greeks and Romans. Instead, he will honor “a god of fortresses”, also described as “a foreign god”. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we are told of “the god of this age”, also aptly translated as “the god of this world”. Indeed, Matthew 4:8 says that the tempter offered all the kingdoms of this world. In contrast, Jesus said as recorded in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world”.

References

[1] Doran, W., C. Moorman, B. Pasternak, P. Hempel, and K. Campa. Iran Update, October 23, 2026. Institute for the Study of War.

[2] 2020. Yemen Country Analysis Brief. U.S. Energy Information Administration.

[3] Al-Madhaji, M. 2020. Marib’s Tribes Hold the Line Against the Houthi Assault. Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies.

[4] Sharp, J. M. 2019. Yemen: Civil War and Regional Intervention, Document R43960. U.S. Congressional Research Service.

[5] Fontanellaz, A. 2026, October 01. Of plastic slippers and ballistic missiles: what is the Houthis’ military power? Tomorrow’s Affairs.

[6] Kuwait News Agency. 2026, October 27. Coalition intercepts 3 Houthi missiles toward Eastern Province, 4 drones. Kuwait Times.

[7] 2026, October 27. Middle East – Highlighted (Confirmed) incidents. International Maritime Organization.

[8] Attack UKMTO #182. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

[9] Howard, G. 2026, October 26. Late reports of Hormuz attacks as Iran blacklist expands. Seatrade Maritime News.

[10] Suspicious Activity UKMTO #183. United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations.

[11] Raydan, N. 2026, October 21. Iraq’s Energy Challenges Amid the Hormuz Crises. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

[12] 2007. Al Basrah Oil Terminal, Basrah, Iraq, SIGIR PA-06-080. Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

[13] Blanchard, C. M. 2026, June 08. Iraq, Document IF10404. U.S. Congressional Research Service.

[14] TOI Staff. 2026, October 23. Netanyahu: Israel should ready for global sanctions, use blockchain to circumvent them. Times of Israel.

[15] Benari, E. 2026, October 28. Trump: The war in Iran will end when I want it to. Israel National News.