Israel Readies Submarines Near Iran

Israeli Dolphin Class Submarine

In a move that was not unexpected, Israel has indicated that it intends to take some steps to prepare to deal with a potential threat in the Middle East:

Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran

Sunday Times, UK – May 30, 2010

Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline.

The first has been sent in response to Israeli fears that ballistic missiles developed by Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, a political and military organisation in Lebanon, could hit sites in Israel, including air bases and missile launchers.

The submarines of Flotilla 7 — Dolphin, Tekuma and Leviathan — have visited the Gulf before. But the decision has now been taken to ensure a permanent presence of at least one of the vessels…

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7140282.ece

As Iran continues to make statements that Israel finds threatening, Israel is taking its own steps to hope to minimize the potential damage that some of its declared enemies might do.

Iran’s politicians hope to cause a situation when an Iranian Islamic leader, known as the Mahdi/Imam will rise up (this leader is alluded to in certain Persian and other Islamic writings). Despite the fact that Iran’s top politicians hope that Iran will gain leadership of the Islamic world, according to biblical prophecy, this will be a hollow hope.

Since Iran is basically east of Israel, and not south, people such as Dr. R. Meredith, presiding evangelist of the Living Church of God, have felt that Iran could not be the leader of the power prophesied in the Bible and called the King of the South (Daniel 11:40). And while some will likely consider him to be the Mahdi/Imam, he is not at all likely to be Iranian.

I have long felt that Israel was likely to do something in order to eliminate Iran as a threat. But that may come at a high price.

It is certainly possible that Israel may cripple Iran enough that Iran (and some of its allies) will be satisfied to support (as oppose to lead) an emerging Islamic power that both Islamic and biblical prophecies foretell. The stationing of Israeli submarines near Iran may well fit into what is needed for those prophecies to come to pass.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be–but they are in error. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might the King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?