As Ayatollah Threatens Regional War, Trump Pursues Talks but Warns: 'We'll Find Out'
JERUSALEM, Israel – The Middle East continues to wait on President Trump to see if he will attack Iran or if negotiations will succeed. The future and fate of Iran and its people rest in the balance.
The president reacted to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said a U.S. attack could provoke a regional war.
“Why wouldn't he say that?" Trump asked. "Of course, you could say that, but we have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there, very close, a couple of days, and hopefully we'll make a deal. If we don't make a deal, then we'll find out whether or not he was right.”
U.S. and Iranian officials may meet this week in Ankara, Turkey, to attempt to end the conflict.
Former Canadian Parliamentarian and Iranian-born activist Goldie Ghamari told CBN News she believes the negotiations are a classic Iranian tactic.
"They're going to say and do whatever they can in order to remain in power," she stated. "And in order to buy time, so that they can rebuild and become strong again. So. Absolutely. I think this is just – I'm sorry – this is just buying time.”
Ghamari stays in contact with many inside Iran. She says the people are not giving up.
"The revolution is still happening. Iranians, you know, it's basically now or never," she remarked. "And, Iranians are definitely looking forward to military intervention by the United States and possibly Israel. So, the mood is one of resilience. The mood is one of anger at the Islamic regime. The Islamic regime is dead. They just don't know it yet.”
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On Fox News Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) sent a message to President Trump and suggested that he can't talk like Reagan but act like Obama.
"The Ayatollah will never be our friend," Graham asserted. "He's a religious Nazi. President Trump, you said help is on the way. That has to be real. It has to be real. Soon. Do it. Mr. President. The people of Iran are begging you to be on their side."
Graham added, "You have done it so good. You're a Reagan plus. This is the defining moment in your presidency. Stand by the people they are until the Ayatollah falls. The regional changes (are) bigger than the fall of the Berlin Wall."
Evangelist Robby Dawkins has been in contact with the underground Church in Iran, one of the fastest-growing in the world. He believes the fall of the regime will lead to an explosion of evangelism that could rival what happened in the Soviet Union after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
“I believe the regime will completely fall and the people of Iran will be completely liberated," Dawkins predicted. "And as we see that happen, we're going to see a complete transformation. I and my team, we're ready to go to Iran and start equipping and evangelizing like never before. I know many other groups are too, but this is a time we need to be praying for that.”
About The Author
CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief
In a time where the world's attention is riveted on events in the Middle East, CBN viewers have come to appreciate Chris Mitchell's timely reports from this explosive region of the world. Mitchell brings a Biblical and prophetic perspective to these daily news events that shape our world.
Chris first began reporting on the Middle East in the mid-1990s. He repeatedly traveled there to report on the religious and political issues facing Israel and the surrounding Arab states. One of his more significant reports focused on the emigration of persecuted Christians from the Middle East.
In the past, Chris's reporting has been distinguished by award-winning coverage of revival movements and other spiritual issues. In addition to the Brownsville revival in Pensacola, Fla., he also covered an outbreak of revival in Missouri. His report on the "holy laughter" revivals in Toronto and London was named CBN's "Focus Story of the Year" in 1994.
That same year, Chris also earned a "Short Story of the Year" award for his examination of religious coverage in network news. He has also reported on such movements as the Promise Keepers and the annual "Prayer and Fasting" campaign led by the late Campus Crusade founder Dr. Bill Bright.
In addition to his reports for The 700 Club, Chris is also a regular contributor to Christian World News, a weekly 30-minute newscast that airs nationally in multiple markets.
Prior to joining CBN News in 1992, Chris worked for three years as a researcher, producer, and reporter for the Features/Testimonies department of The 700 Club.
A native of the Boston area, Chris earned a B.A. in History at the University of New Hampshire in 1975. In 1987, he graduated with honors from Regent University, earning an M.A. in Communication. While a student at Regent (then CBN University), Chris anchored "Newsight," a student-produced Christian news program.
Chris's goal at CBN News is to provide in his stories the Biblical "understanding of the times" described in I Chronicles 12:32.
