In the early hours (EST) of 28 February 2026, US President Trump announced that he had launched an attack against Iran. Just before these events, Israel also “pre-emptively” attacked various targets in southern Lebanon, where the number of casualties has yet to be determined.
We will hear all sorts of lies, generated by everyone with an interest in the area, about what is happening. Here are the main ones:
Iran: This is an attack on their sovereignty.
Israel: This is about protecting its national interests.
USA: This is all about stopping Iran's nuclear programme. Secondarily, this is about freedom for the Iranians.
MAGA fans are celebrating the attack and also verbally attacking anyone who disagrees with this attack.
According to intelligence reports, Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has been found dead in his compound in Tehran.
Over 140 school-age children in Iran have also been killed.
Iran is already retaliating, targeting US interests across the Middle East in Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have been hit in attacks as well.
This attack on Iran is a clear violation of the UN Charter in the absence of any credible, imminent Iranian threat to the United States. There is no moral or legal justification for bombing a people already struggling for their own freedom.
- Where are the peacemakers and diplomats?
- Who has the courage to step back from the brink?
- Where are members of the media & congress with enough guts to stand up to Trump?
In the face of the use of force and violence, not only in Iran, but now throughout the Middle East, we recall the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Today, that calling feels heavier than ever before. When the “spirit of fear” threatens to consume our hearts, we must anchor ourselves in the “spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
While there are all sorts of questions about Trump's rationale for launching this war, including:
- supporting anti-Iranian countries in the Middle East who have given many gifts to the US and Trump;
- sidetracking attention from the Epstein files;
- continuing his attack on US democracy;
- a setup to change the climate around US mid-term elections;
- and others.
As followers of Jesus, how do we respond? Let's not get caught up in the lies. Please be very careful about where you are getting your information, especially ignore anything that comes from AI.
First, we need to pray. We ask God to protect the innocent - the mothers, the children, and the elderly - who are caught in the crossfire of this “Operation Epic Fury” and the subsequent “crushing responses.” We pray for a “sound mind” for the leaders of the United States, Israel, Iran, and neighbouring nations that they might recognise the futility of this bloodshed and turn back from the precipice of a regional and possible global catastrophe.
Second, we need to beacons of hope and comfort. In a time of “regime change” rhetoric and military ultimatums, let our message be the unchanging promise of Christ’s peace, build each other up in the love of Christ, for our hope is not in the strength of weapons or missile shields, but in the Prince of Peace.
Third, we must remain “Bridge Builders.” Diplomacy seems to shut down, but we pray for church leaders throughout the Middle East to keep the doors of reconciliation open. Let us not see our neighbours as enemies, whether they be in Tehran, Tel Aviv, or the military bases of the Gulf.
I know many will not like this post. Because, for far too many people who call themselves evangelicals, Trump and Israel can do no wrong.
Comments