Clearing the Fog of War
This past Saturday (February 28, 2026), Israel and the United States launched strategic air attacks on the Iranian government and military. And these attacks are ongoing. They were meticulously planned, strategically timed, amazingly coordinated, and have been tremendously successful. The initial strike by Israel took out the very evil ayatollah and up to forty of his leaders, making the world a safer place.
Don't believe the nonsense that America was dragged into this war by Israel. We were dragged into it by the Iranian leaders. For a variety of reasons, I, like many, have seen the attack on Iran coming for some time. Iran, as part of what many refer to as "the new axis of evil"—along with China, Russia, and North Korea—has become the world's leading sponsor of terror. I speak, of course, of the Iranian government, not the majority of the Iranian citizens.
This cruel, radical Islamist regime has not only spawned terrorism, it has brutally oppressed a once-prosperous Iranian people, turning it into a stronghold of suffering and tyranny. They killed tens of thousands of their own people in the recent protests that took place. Iran has also fomented instability in the Middle East region and throughout the world.
With a stated purpose of annihilating Israel and America, the ayatollahs and their followers have demonstrated for almost half a century (since 1979) just how serious they are about this, killing and maiming thousands of Americans and Israelis during that span of time. They tried to assassinate Trump. To have allowed such monsters to possess nuclear weapons would have been as foolish as appeasing Hitler turned out to be.
How We Got Here
On September 30, 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain received loud cheers when he returned to London after negotiations in Munich with Adolf Hitler. He and the prime minister of France, Édouard Daladier, agreed to Hitler's demands that Czechoslovakia cede a portion of its territory, known as the Sudetenland, to Germany. (It is worth noting that although these talks concerned the future of Czechoslovakia, no Czech representative was present!) In return, Hitler assured the Western Allies that he had no further territorial ambitions. On his return, Prime Minister Chamberlain read from a statement he and the German Führer signed that morning, pledging that their new agreement was "symbolic of the desire of our two peoples never to go to war with one another again."(1) Speaking later that day outside his Office at 10 Downing Street, Chamberlain proclaimed, "I believe it is peace for our time."(2) (Photo via Wikimedia)
Chamberlain's actions received wide acclaim throughout Great Britain and around the world. Following news of the Munich Agreement, an editorial in The New York Times proclaimed, "Let no man say that too high a price has been paid for peace in Europe until he has searched his soul and found himself willing to risk in war the lives of those who are nearest and dearest to him."(3)
While war is always to be avoided when possible, the words of Chamberlain and The New York Times proved to be utterly foolish, as Hitler's forces seized all of Czechoslovakia six months later on March 15, 1939. And less than a year after Chamberlain's announcement, on September 1, 1939, German troops invaded Poland and started World War II.
Not everyone was fooled by Hitler and in favor of the appeasement demonstrated by the Munich Agreement. "One of its fiercest critics was future [British] Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who loudly denounced Chamberlain's deal with Hitler in a speech in the House of Commons. Churchill called the agreement 'a total and unmitigated defeat' and warned his audience that 'there can never be friendship between the British democracy and the Nazi power, that Power which spurns Christian ethics, which cheers its onward course by a barbarous paganism, which vaunts the spirit of aggression and conquest, which derives strength and perverted pleasure from persecution, and uses, as we have seen, with pitiless brutality the threat of murderous force. That Power cannot ever be the trusted friend of the British democracy.'"(4)
Churchill went on to warn, "And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning."(5) "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war."(6) History has shown that war is sometimes inevitable, and that some leaders are so evil, they need capital punishment, not appeasement. The appeasement of Hitler cost the world an estimated 60–75 million lives.
Avoiding Historical Mistakes
President Trump and his team, the Israeli government, and other prudent leaders realized that attempting to appease the ayatollah and his evil Iranian regime—as Obama did by sending pallets of cash totaling hundreds of millions(7)—would be as foolish as Chamberlain's attempted appeasement of Hitler. They knew that signing another treaty with this lying leader—while he continued making his nukes and funding terrorists, as Obama also did—would have been as naive and ridiculous as Chamberlain's misplaced trust. The ayatollahs and their murderous Iranian regime should have been stopped long ago, not trusted or placated. (Photo via Picryl)
Trump did the world a favor by ending the reigns of Maduro in Venezuela and Khamenei in Iran. And in doing so, he has reset the entire world order. Russia's and China's cheap oil supplies have been hugely impacted, and they now know Trump won't hesitate to protect America's interests around the world. They have also seen America's unequaled military strength demonstrated and know that he can back up his promises to do so.
Realignment of the Middle East
Another part of the international reset is not just the weakening of Iran, but also the realignment of the entire Middle East. Many leaders there were already coming on board with Trump's leadership, then Iran foolishly attacked several of them in retaliation for America and Israel's actions. Almost the entire Middle East is now aligned against Iran. If this trend continues, the realignment of the Middle East will prove to be unprecedented.
Finally, there is most definitely a spiritual element to what is occurring in Iran. For months now I have said that the influence of the "prince of Persia" (today's Iran) is being removed (see Daniel 10:13–20). This principality mentioned in Daniel's time has been exerting control over the region in our day, as well, through the evil regime of the ayatollahs. This is ending and will increase the great harvest now occurring there.
In conclusion, I certainly do not want to see America drawn into another prolonged war. But I see that which President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu are doing as a deterrent to prolonged war. They are cutting off the head of a poisonous snake, putting fear in the hearts of our enemies, protecting our ally Israel, liberating an oppressed people (the Iranians), and though they probably do not realize it are further opening the region to the Gospel.
Pray with Me
Father, we pray...
• That the great harvest in Iran will continue.
• For this to spread to all the Middle East.
• For the complete end of the influence of "the prince of Persia."
• For the protection of innocent people in the Middle East.
• For the protection of Americans here and abroad.
• For the freedom of the Iranian people.
• For wisdom to be given to President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and both nations' military leaders. Give them supernatural insight from on high.
• For protection over both nations' leaders, as well as our militaries.
• And that the war will end quickly.
We also pray for the families of the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for this cause. May God be close to the brokenhearted and give them peace. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Our decree: We decree that the strategies of Heaven will prevail over the strategies of hell in the Middle East.
(To watch the full video of this GiveHim15 post, click here.)
Notes:
1. Annex to Cabinet Minutes, 30th September 1938—CAB 23/95/11, United Kingdom National Archives (UKNA). (URL: ). Accessed 8/27/24.
2. The Times, October 1, 1938, quoted in Tim Bouverie, Appeasement: Chamberlain, Churchill, and the Road to War (New York: Tim Duggan Books, 2019), 287–288.
3. "The Price of Peace," The New York Times, September 30, 1938.
4. Scanlon S., "Appeasement and 'Peace for Our Time,'" The National WWII Museum New Orleans, October 15, 2024.
5. "Disaster of the First Magnitude, 1938," America's National Churchill Museum, 2026.
6. "Munich Agreement," Britannica, February 19, 2026.
7.
"Press Releases: Subcommittee Investigates Dangers of Ransom Payments to Iran," Financial Services Committee, September 8, 2016.
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Dutch Sheets
Dutch Sheets Ministries
Email:Â click here
Website:Â dutchsheets.org
Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized author, gifted teacher, and conference speaker. He travels extensively, challenging Believers for passionate prayer and societal reformation. Seeing America experience a sweeping revival and return to its Godly heritage is Dutch's greatest passion. Dutch has written over twenty-three books, many of which have been translated into over thirty languages. His international bestseller, Intercessory Prayer, has sold over one million copies worldwide. Dutch has pastored, taught in several colleges and seminaries, and served on the board of directors of numerous organizations. He is fondly known to many as Papa Dutch. Treasuring time spent with their family and grandchildren. Dutch and Ceci, his wife of forty plus years, enjoy quiet walks in the woods, reading, and playing a little golf. They make their home in beautiful South Carolina.
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