Last week, the world witnessed the funeral ceremonies for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Millions gathered to honor a man who, to his followers, was far more than a political leader. He led a system that combines political power, religious authority, and revolutionary ideology.
And this brings us to one of the most important questions of our time. Why is the Iranian regime so determined to destroy Israel?
Why would a country nearly eighty times larger than Israel in territory and almost ten times larger in population become so preoccupied with such a small nation?
Israel is only a narrow strip of land. Yet one of the largest nations in the Middle East has made the destruction of one of the smallest nations on Earth a central theme of its foreign policy for more than four decades.
The answer goes much deeper than politics, borders, or diplomacy. Perhaps surprisingly to many, it has much to do with theology, ideology, and the expectation of a particular kind of messiah.
At the heart of this worldview is a branch of Shiite Islam known as Twelver Shiism. According to this belief, the twelfth Imam, sometimes called the Hidden Imam or the Mahdi, disappeared from public view in the ninth century during the Occultation. This refers to the belief that the Mahdi did not die but remains hidden and alive, awaiting the moment when he will return to establish justice throughout the earth.
For centuries, many have faithfully awaited his return. But after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini introduced a revolutionary interpretation. He taught that the Islamic state should actively prepare the world for the Mahdi/Messiah’s return.
This led to the doctrine known as the rule of the Islamic jurist.
Since the Mahdi is absent, a supreme religious leader would govern in his place until his return. That is why Iran’s Supreme Leader is viewed not merely as a political ruler but as a religious authority exercising leadership on behalf of the absent Imam. As a result, the Iranian regime sees itself as carrying out a sacred historical mission. Who stands in the way of that mission?
Tiny Israel.
Within this ideology, Israel and the United States are often portrayed as the principal obstacles to this vision for the world.
This is why they have often been referred to by the regime as the “Little Satan” and the “Great Satan,” respectively. From this perspective, opposition to Israel is not merely a political disagreement. Once it is viewed as a religious and ideological duty, it moves beyond ordinary political negotiation.
This also explains Iran’s support for groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other organizations that together constitute what Iran calls the Axis of Resistance.
This ideology does not represent Islam as a whole, nor all Shiite Muslims, nor all Iranians. Many Muslims reject it entirely. Many Iranians reject it as well.
What is being fought in the Middle East today is not merely a conventional war. Under the headlines, spiritual and ideological forces are at work.
It is remarkable to see how this growing hostility intersects with biblical prophecy about the last days. For the first time in nearly 2,600 years, Persia and Israel stand face-to-face on the stage of history. Students of prophecy cannot help but notice that the very nation, Persia, is specifically named in Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning Gog and Magog and has now moved to the center of Middle Eastern events.
As believers, we should be reminded that behind many earthly conflicts, deeper spiritual realities are often at play.
But there is another dimension that Scripture reveals. The ultimate reason for the relentless determination to eliminate Israel is that Israel is the place where the Messiah will return to establish His kingdom on earth.
The prophets, including Zechariah, and the words of Yeshua Himself point us to Jerusalem and Israel in the events surrounding His return. Before His return, Yeshua declared: “For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'” (Matthew 23:39). Israel holds a unique place in God’s prophetic program.
This may explain every expression of antisemitism, and it helps us understand why hostility toward the Jewish people has persisted throughout history with such unusual intensity.
This does not mean we hate Iranians. Quite the opposite. We pray for Iran. Many Iranians have come to faith in Messiah in recent years, and some observers describe one of the fastest-growing underground church movements in the world, taking place in Iran today.
Our struggle is against ideologies and spiritual forces that oppose God’s purposes. Paul reminds us: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12). That truth may explain far more than we sometimes realize.
Click here for the Video: Israel and the Nations – Why Does Iran Want to Destroy Israel? : The Answer Is Deeper Than Politics