Donald Trump has deployed thousands of US Marines to the Strait of Hormuz amid mounting fears that America is set to put troops on the ground as the world’s oil supply is strangled.

The Strait of Hormuz is not just another stretch of water on a map. It is the narrow artery through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil supply must pass, and when tension builds there the entire global system begins to shake. Now thousands of U.S. Marines and additional naval forces are being moved toward the region as the possibility of confrontation with Iran grows, and the world is once again staring at the Middle East powder keg. World War 3, anyone?

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:7,8 (KJB)

When America starts moving Marines and warships into position around the Persian Gulf, that is not routine diplomacy. That is the unmistakable language of military preparation. It means the Pentagon — the Department of War — is positioning pieces on the chessboard in case the crisis around the Strait of Hormuz erupts into open conflict. Iran knows exactly where the leverage is. If the regime in Tehran ever seriously attempts to choke off the Strait of Hormuz, it would send oil prices skyrocketing overnight and slam the global economy into chaos. That is why the United States has historically treated that narrow waterway as a line that cannot be crossed. The question now is whether the current escalation is a show of force meant to deter Iran, or the opening chapter of something much larger.

Every warship sent to the Persian Gulf, every Marine deployment, every rising confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the West pushes the world another step closer to the moment when the Middle East explodes into the final series of conflicts the Bible describes. But while the world watches the Strait of Hormuz and wonders if another war is about to begin, the born-again Church is watching for something else entirely.

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Trump deploys 5,000 Marines into Hormuz tinderbox as boots on the ground fears grow after 13 US troops die in Iran war carnage

FROM THE UK DAILY MAIL: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth approved a request by US Central Command for the deployment of a Marine expeditionary unit, typically including several warships and 5,000 troops, three officials told the Wall Street Journal. The Japan-based USS Tripoli, an amphibious assault ship, and its attached Marines are now headed for the Middle East, where they join other Marines already in the fight, the officials said.

The war spiraled on Friday as the US death toll climbed to 13 troops, domestic gas prices soared to $3.60 per gallon and Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani defiantly taunted Trump on the streets of Tehran. The bolstered deployment comes as the Trump administration weighs seizing Iran’s Kharg Island, around 16 miles off the mainland in the Persian Gulf, which handles 90 percent of the Islamic regime’s fuel exports.

Trump told Fox News Radio Friday about taking control of the island: ‘It’s not high on the list, but it’s one of so many different things, and I can change my mind in seconds.’

Hegseth earlier lashed out at reporters at a press briefing at the Pentagon, slamming ‘fake headlines’ about the war and claiming ‘we’re dealing with’ the Strait, adding ‘you don’t need to worry about it.’ All six service members aboard a refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq were confirmed dead as the stalemate in the Strait deepened.

The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker went down in western Iraq after a mid-air collision in friendly airspace at around 2pm ET Thursday, with four crew members initially confirmed dead.

US Central Command confirmed Friday that two further crew members died after rescue efforts failed. The second aircraft involved in the collision landed safely, sustaining minor damage to its tail. The six were not immediately identified as the military informed next of kin, bringing the US death toll in the Iran war to 13 after seven service members were killed in a drone strike on a Kuwaiti base on the second day of fighting. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

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When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

The news that U.S. Central Command has lost a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft over western Iraq is not just another military headline

CENTCOM confirmed that two aircraft were involved in the incident, with one KC-135 Stratotanker going down in friendly airspace while the other landed safely, and rescue operations are ongoing. Officials say the crash was not the result of hostile or friendly fire, but the timing is impossible to ignore. It is another reminder that the war now unfolding against Iran is already extracting a price in American lives and equipment — and the cost is climbing.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:4 (KJB)

This tanker went down in the middle of Operation Epic Fury, the ongoing U.S. military campaign against Iran that has already seen thousands of strikes across the region. And the war has already produced American casualties. In the opening days of the conflict, Iranian missile and drone strikes targeted U.S. forces across the Middle East. A drone attack on a U.S. position in Kuwait alone killed multiple American soldiers, with additional service members later dying from their wounds or other incidents connected to the deployment.

FROM THE US CENTRAL COMMAND: At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. All six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue. source

The toll has now reached at least eight American service members dead, with nearly 200 more wounded. If the crew of the KC-135 Stratotanker is not rescued, that will bring the death toll to anywhere between 11-14 soldiers since the war began.

These are not abstract numbers. They are:

• sons
• daughters
• husbands
• fathers
• mothers

They are young Americans who left home believing they were serving their country, and now their families are burying them. War always comes with speeches about strategy and national security, but for the families receiving folded flags at Dover Air Force Base, the cost is painfully personal.

The conflict is expanding rapidly. U.S. forces have already conducted thousands of strikes against Iranian targets, and regional tensions are exploding from Lebanon to the Persian Gulf. Oil prices are surging, the Strait of Hormuz is under threat, and global markets are already reacting to the instability.

Meanwhile, the United States is burning through aircraft hours, munitions, and billions of dollars. In the first week alone, the war has already cost over $11 billion, and now another aircraft is gone. A KC-135 Stratotanker tanker is not just another airplane. It is a flying gas station, essential to keeping fighters and bombers in the air. Without tankers, modern air warfare stops. When one of them is suddenly lost in the middle of a major air campaign, it shows how intense the operational tempo has already become.

For now, Washington insists the war is going well. But history teaches a sobering lesson: wars are easy to start and hard to control. Every new headline — a drone strike, a missile attack, a downed aircraft — tells the same story. The price is rising. First came the missile strikes. then the first American casualties, now the loss of a refueling aircraft over Iraq with possible the entire crew lost. And the question hanging over everything is the same one nations have faced for thousands of years: How much will this war ultimately cost before it is finished? Because war always collects its payment made in blood, in treasure, and in consequences that often last long after the shooting stops.

Rescue efforts underway after US KC-135 Stratotanker lost over Iraq

“US Central Command is aware of the loss of a US KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” CENTCOM said. “Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. “This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

The Trump administration, which has expressed frequent exasperation with all that has been asked of it by Ukraine, had an urgent request of its own this week.

Today the war with Iran started  by Trump’s Department of War is officially one week old, and there are some interesting things to note at this point in the operations. First, President Trump has declared that today “Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.” Second, and rather amazingly, the Department of War has reached out to Ukraine for help with fighting off Iranian drone attacks. Wha….??? How on Earth did we get to that point in only 7 days? Yikes.

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.” Revelation 17:17 (KJB)

The key to understanding the things that Trump says is that 50% of whatever he says or posts is not true, 25% of it is gross exaggeration, and somewhere in the remaining 25% if you’re willing to put the work in, you’ll find the actual truth of what’s he’s talking about. Remember last summer when Zelensky was invited to the White House only to be attacked and roundly mocked and humiliated by Trump and Vance? Now the ‘Lethalitymaxxing’ Department of War needs Zelensky’s help? You know what that tells me? That Trump has launched America into a war that we are not prepared for, and that in only 7 days, the whole thing is already starting to unravel. But as unpleasant and unpalatable as that thought may be, it pales in comparison to Islamic terror attacks restarting on American soil. That’s what you need to mentally prepare yourself for. It only gets worse from here.

Unprepared for Iranian drones, U.S. and partners seek Ukraine’s help

FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: With swarms of Iranian drones breaching U.S. air defense systems and striking targets across the Middle East, Ukraine — which has spent years confronting nearly identical attacks — was asked to come to the aid of the United States and its partners.

“We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection,” against Iran’s drone systems, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday on X. Ukrainian advisers and systems would shortly be on their way to the Persian Gulf region, Zelensky said, because “Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security.”

We received a request from the United States for specific support in protection against “shaheds” in the Middle East region. I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine helps…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 5, 2026

It was a rare moment for Zelensky to be in position of lending assistance — however small in scale — a year after he was pilloried in an Oval Office visit with President Donald Trump for pleading for U.S. support with “no cards” to play of his own and for not showing sufficient gratitude. More broadly, however, the U.S. request has focused attention on why the United States and its gulf allies have seemed poorly prepared for retaliatory drone strikes by an adversary that has spent much of the past four years stockpiling lethal “Shahed” drones by the thousands, as well as whether U.S. and other military leaders had absorbed the lessons of Russia’s war in Ukraine, including incursions into NATO airspace.

“If you are planning a war against Iran — the original purveyor of Shahed drones — and you are surprised that Shaheds are numerous and difficult to intercept you haven’t been paying attention,” said Dara Massicot, a defense and security analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“There is a multiyear disconnect between the Ukrainian combat experience and institutionalizing its lessons in the U.S. military,” Massicot said. As a result, she said, the United States and its allies are “reaching out to Ukraine in a time of crisis.”
A U.S. official acknowledged a U.S. request but said it was unclear whether it was before or during the current operation.

“Contact was made on how to work together and benefit from their experience,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive communications. The White House declined to provide further details and referred to Trump’s comments to Reuters on Thursday. The president said the U.S. would accept assistance from any country when asked about Zelensky’s comments. READ MORE

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

• HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB