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US Sends Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson To Persian Gulf As Tensions Escalate

The carrier Carl Vinson has arrived in 5th Fleet, putting naval forces closer to Iran as tensions between that country and the United States continue to escalate. Vinson, as well as embarked Carrier Air Wing 17, cruiser Bunker Hill and destroyer Halsey, entered 5th Fleet on Jan. 9, where it is expected to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Navy and Defense Department officials said last week that threats and military exercises from Iran would not deter U.S. forces from continuing to work in the region and that operations were running as usual with no special response to Iran’s provocations.

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The carrier Carl Vinson has arrived in 5th Fleet, putting naval forces closer to Iran as tensions between that country and the United States continue to escalate.

The USS Carl Vinson

Vinson, as well as embarked Carrier Air Wing 17, cruiser Bunker Hill and destroyer Halsey, entered 5th Fleet on Jan. 9, where it is expected to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Navy and Defense Department officials said last week that threats and military exercises from Iran would not deter U.S. forces from continuing to work in the region and that operations were running as usual with no special response to Iran’s provocations.

The carrier John C. Stennis also is in 5th Fleet supporting OEF. The Navy didn’t disclose the Vinson’s exact location, but carriers supporting the war in Afghanistan typically do not operate from the Persian Gulf.

On Jan. 3, Iranian Army chief Ataollah Salehi warned Stennis not to operate in the Gulf.

“I advise, recommend and warn them over their return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf because we are not in the habit of warning more than once,” Salehi said as his country practiced shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for shipping about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply. Vinson had left the Gulf and entered the Sea of Oman.

Vinson’s arrival comes as tensions with Iran continue. Days earlier, Iran sentenced former Marine Amir Marzaei Hekmati to death, charging him with working for the CIA and spying on the country. The State Department and White House both condemned the verdict, demanded his prompt release and accused Iran of creating false charges against Hekmati. Various media reports said that Hekmati, who was born in Arizona, was in Iran visiting family.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to provide maritime assistance to distressed Iranian sailors. On Jan. 5, sailors from the destroyer Kidd, a part of the Stennis Carrier Strike Group, boarded an Iranian boat that had been captured by Somali pirates. The 13 Iranians fishermen onboard were rescued, provided with treated treatment, given supplies and sent on their way home.

On Tuesday, the Coast Guard cutter Monomoy rescued six Iranians whose boat had engine problems and was taking on water. source – Navy Times

Drones

Iranian ‘Drone Mothership’ Story Returns As Recent Intelligence Warns Of Possible Offshore Attack On California And Other Locations Across America

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From The Mysterious Drone Sightings Over New Jersey In 2024 To Today’s California Warnings, The Iranian ‘Mothership’ Story Has Returned but with a twist

In December of 2024, a strange story began circulating about mysterious drones flying over New Jersey. Soon after, a claim surfaced that Iran had positioned a “mothership” off the East Coast launching drones toward the United States. The story spread quickly, the headlines ran with it, and social media exploded. But within days the Pentagon flatly denied it, satellite imagery showed Iranian drone ships still sitting near Iran, and the entire narrative quietly faded away. Fast forward to today and suddenly the same storyline is back — except now it is being discussed in connection with a potential Iranian drone attack on California from a vessel offshore which is quite real.

“And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.” Zechariah 5:2 (KJB)

At first glance it sounds like the same rumor recycled again. But the reality is more complicated than that. The difference today is that the concept of a drone mothership is no longer theoretical. Iran actually built them. Over the past two years, Iran has begun converting large commercial container ships into floating drone bases capable of launching unmanned aircraft far from its own shores. One of the most notable examples is the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Shahid Bagheri, a converted container ship outfitted with a drone runway, helicopter facilities, missiles, and electronic warfare systems. In essence, Iran cannot build a traditional aircraft carrier, so it built something cheaper and far more unconventional — a drone carrier.

These ships are designed to stay at sea for extended periods and launch surveillance drones or strike drones hundreds of miles from the launch point. In military terms, this is called power projection, and it allows a nation with limited conventional naval power to extend its reach across entire oceans. So when intelligence analysts talk about the possibility of drones being launched from a vessel offshore, they are not inventing science fiction. The technology exists, but that does not mean the rumors are automatically true.

The United States monitors the world’s oceans with satellites, radar systems, and naval patrols. A large vessel approaching the American coastline would not go unnoticed, and drones entering U.S. airspace would trigger multiple detection systems. In other words, launching a drone attack on the U.S. mainland from offshore would be extremely risky and difficult to pull off without detection. That is why the 2024 New Jersey story collapsed so quickly, there was simply no evidence to support it. But that was then, and this is now

However, today’s discussion is emerging in a very different context. The United States and Iran are now engaged in open conflict following a series of strikes earlier this year. During the first hours of that war, U.S. forces reportedly targeted Iranian naval assets including one of the country’s drone-carrier ships. This is important because it reveals how seriously the military views these platforms. A floating drone base capable of launching swarms of unmanned aircraft is not just a curiosity — it is a strategic weapon. And that brings us to the bigger picture.

The development of drone carriers is part of a much larger transformation happening in warfare. Nations like China, Turkey, and Iran are experimenting with new ways to launch large numbers of inexpensive drones from ships, potentially overwhelming traditional defenses. Instead of a handful of expensive fighter jets, the future battlefield may involve hundreds of autonomous drones launched from sea-based platforms.

For now, reports of Iranian drones attacking California remain unverified intelligence warnings rather than confirmed threats. Officials have said there is no evidence of an imminent attack. But the fact that such scenarios are even being discussed shows how quickly modern warfare is changing. And if there is one lesson from both the New Jersey incident and the current California warning, it is this: rumors can spread faster than facts, but real military technology often lies somewhere underneath the noise. The challenge is separating speculation from reality before the next headline turns into the next panic. History has shown that the fog of war produces plenty of both.

What kind of attack drones does Iran have and could they strike California?

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

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.

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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 SHORTTO THE FIGHT!!!

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

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Headline News

The Strait of Hormuz In The Persian Gulf Lit Up Like An Inferno After Six Tankers Attacked By Iran When Explosive-Laden Boats Struck Multiple Vessels

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Oil Surges Above $100 As Six Ships Are Attacked In Strait Of Hormuz While Trump’s War With Iran Pushes Middle East Toward Wider Conflict

Oil prices have surged past $100 a barrel after multiple ships were attacked in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, sending shockwaves through global markets and reminding the world just how fragile the modern economic system really is. As the war between the United States and Iran intensifies, one of the most important energy choke points on the planet is rapidly turning into a battlefield.

“And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.” Deuteronomy 33:24 (KJB)

Yes, oil is part of the story, and always has been. The Persian Gulf sits on top of one of the largest concentrations of energy reserves on the planet. When that supply is threatened, markets tremble. But the deeper reality is geopolitical power. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most strategic military choke points on earth. Whoever controls that corridor can influence the energy supply of Asia, Europe, and much of the global economy. This is how regional wars begin to spread. First it is military strikes, then retaliation, then attacks on global trade routes. Once shipping lanes become battlefields, the entire world begins to feel the consequences. As the war between the United States and Iran escalates and global energy markets begin to tremble, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. The world is moving into a period of profound instability exactly how the prophets said that it would be in the last days.

Oil prices surge above $100 per barrel after six ships attacked in Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz

FROM THE NY POST: The two most recent attacks, apparently carried out by explosive-laden boats, hit the tankers Safesea Vishnu and Zefyros in Iraqi waters, killing at least one crew member and setting the vessels ablaze. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attacks, releasing a video of the burning Safesea Vishnu in which a man can be heard shouting: “Allah is the greatest! The destruction of an American tanker in the northern district of the Persian Gulf! I obey you Khamenei! Hail be the Islamic Republic of Iran! Soldiers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy!”

“Expect oil at $200 per barrel,” a spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday aimed at the US. “The price of oil depends on regional security, and you are the main source of insecurity in the region.”

The latest attacks followed projectile strikes on four ships in the Strait of Hormuz since Wednesday and caused Brent crude futures to jump past the century mark before falling back to around $96.50 per barrel as of 7 a.m. ET. The attacks came hours after President Trump ordered the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to bring down gas prices that have surged by an average of 60 cents per gallon nationwide since America and Israel began joint attacks on Iran Feb. 28.

The IRGC has warned that any vessel which attempts to traverse the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabia Sea and through which an estimated one-fifth of the world’s oil passes, is subject to attack. READ MORE

Bahrain’s interior minister says Iran is targeting fuel tanks in the country after several refineries were hit, as tensions mount following attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz.

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

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.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

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 SHORTTO 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

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End Times

The World Is The Closest It’s Ever Been To WWIII As 20 Nations Have Now Joined In Trump’s Iran War That Has Spread Far Beyond Just The Middle East

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The World Is The Closest It’s Ever Been To World War III As 20 Nations Across Europe And Middle East Are Now Pulled Into The US War With Iran

There are moments in history when the gears of prophecy seem to audibly grind as they move into position, and we may very well be watching one of those moments right now. The rapidly expanding war centered on Iran is no longer a regional flare-up, it is a geopolitical wildfire drawing in nation after nation until the entire Middle East looks like a powder keg waiting for a single spark to set it off.

He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.” Daniel 11:24 (KJB)

What began as a direct confrontation between Israel, the United States, and Iran has now metastasized into something far larger. Missiles are flying across borders, drones are swarming the skies, naval forces are positioning in strategic waterways, and at least 20 nations are now either directly involved or caught in the blast radius of the conflict. Bases are being struck, alliances are activating, and the global chessboard is rapidly rearranging itself.

Countries Now Directly Involved or Attacked

Depending on how you count (combatants, bases, or nations hit by missiles), about 15–20 countries are now involved or directly affected.

Main combatants:

  • United States
  • Israel
  • Iran

Other nations now involved:

  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Australia
  • Greece
  • Turkey
  • Russia
  • China
  • Taiwan

Countries hit by Iranian missiles/drones or hosting US forces

  • Saudi Arabia
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Qatar
  • Bahrain
  • Kuwait
  • Jordan
  • Iraq
  • Oman
  • Turkey
  • Azerbaijan
  • Lebanon (Hezbollah involvement)
  • Cyprus (UK base struck)

If you have even a passing familiarity with Bible prophecy, you should feel the hair on the back of your neck standing up right now. The Bible does not predict a peaceful road leading to the appearance of Antichrist. Instead, it tells us that the last days will be marked by escalating wars, chaos among nations, and a global system struggling to maintain control. Jesus Himself warned that this would be the atmosphere of the end times.

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)

What we are watching unfold in the Middle East fits perfectly into that prophetic framework. This is not the end yet, but it is exactly the kind of destabilizing global conflict that moves the world closer to the moment when a false messiah will step forward promising peace. And that peace will be a lie. Trump’s Board of Peace in Gaza is doomed to failure before it ever even gets off the ground in you believe the prophets. “Believest thou the prophets?” 

Emmanuel Macron orders armada to the Mediterranean

France is deploying about a dozen naval vessels, including its aircraft ‌carrier strike group, to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and potentially the Strait of Hormuz as part of defensive support to allies threatened by the conflict in the Middle East. Speaking in Cyprus before visiting the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, which arrived this weekend in ​the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron sought to reassure his Cypriot counterpart after drones were intercepted heading ​towards the island last week. SOURCE

The prophet Daniel tells us that Antichrist will come to power through diplomacy and deception, presenting himself as the man who can solve the world’s impossible problems.

“And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.” Daniel 8:25 (KJB)

Think about that for a moment. What kind of world would be desperate enough to accept a global political savior? A world exhausted by war, a world terrified by instability, a world watching alliances collapse and nations burn. In other words, a world that looks exactly like the one we are watching develop right now.

The Middle East has always been the prophetic epicenter of end-times events, and Iran sits right in the middle of several key prophetic trajectories. Whether you look at Ezekiel 38, the alignment of nations around Israel, or the constant drumbeat of conflict surrounding Jerusalem, the pattern is unmistakable. The stage is being set.

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)

Now, does this current war mean that World War III has officially begun? No. But it absolutely demonstrates how quickly the entire planet could be dragged into one. The last century proved how regional wars can explode into global ones. World War I began with a single assassination. World War II began with a territorial invasion. Once alliances begin activating and major powers begin maneuvering, events can spiral out of control faster than anyone expects. And right now, the dominoes are standing closer together than they have in decades.

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

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.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

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 SHORTTO 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

Continue Reading

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