The language and beliefs driving the US–Israel war on Iran point to escalation, not restraint – with global consequences.

When you watch the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, announcing Operation Epic Fury, his surprise attack on the citizens of Iran, you observe a performance crafted to mirror his vision of almost unlimited US power.

Hegseth presented himself as a God of War, the God of the Old Testament, righteously raining down fire and brimstone on the wicked people of Iran. His speech pictured the Iranians cowering, fearfully scanning the sky above in shock and awe at the godlike demonstration of US power he had unleashed.

“Looking up and seeing only US and Israeli air power every minute of every day, until we decide it’s over, and Iran will be able to do nothing about it,” he boasted. “B2s, B52s, predator drones, fighters controlling the skies, picking targets for death and destruction from the sky all day long!”

“We are playing for keeps. Our war fighters have maximum authorities, granted personally by the president, and yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackled. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We’re punching them while they are down, which is exactly how it should be.”

Why was the US Secretary of War sounding so unhinged, bragging like he was some malevolent supervillain from a Superman spin-off, as he exulted in the enormous destructive power he was unleashing on tens of millions of innocent people? Why the Old Testament undertones?

The Secretary of War continued, mocking the Iranians. He conceded that the governing council might select a successor to Ayatollah Khamanei (whom he had murdered), but it wouldn’t matter. Any successor would be too terrified to occupy a room with everyone else.

Secretary of War Hegseth bragged, “The state of Iran is being destroyed!”

“Senior generals, midlevel officers, enlisted ranks, they can’t talk or communicate let alone mount a coordinated and sustained offensive.”

Sarcasm was the weapon Hegseth employed next:

“The Iranian Air Force is no more. Built for 1996, destroyed in 2026! The Iranian Navy rests on the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated: pick your adjective. In fact, last night we sunk their prize ship the Soleimani."

“Looks like POTUS got him twice,” he joked.

If Hubris had another name, it would be Pete Hegseth.

The Sarajevo moment

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austo-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo in June 1914, lit the spark for World War One. An estimated 20 million people died in that conflagration.

The assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei and the attack on Iran launched on 28 February by the US and Israel may well prove to be this century’s Sarajevo Moment. The war is spreading as it metastasises, dragging in more countries around the region, destabilising the entire globe.

The new Supreme Leader of Iran witnessed his mother, his father, his wife, and his children murdered in a surprise attack launched under the guise of peace talks. This is not going to produce a happy ending.

Trump’s war of choice against Iran is joining up with two pre-existing wars in the Middle East and in Eastern Europe. The powers that created Israel, the UK, France and the US will form Israel’s tag team. Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan will be drawn in to defend Iran and maintain the balance of power.

The strategic competition will involve eight nuclear powers: the UK, France, USA and Israel on one side, pitted against another four nuclear powers, Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan. Israel has gambled heavily on this war. The prize it seeks is huge. It wants to expand its borders to build Greater Israel and emerge as the hegemonic power of the middle east. Like Samson, it believes it has the option of bringing the entire world tumbling down.

Trump’s war is proving so unpopular that more than half the US population oppose it. Operation Epic Fury has been renamed Operation Epstein Fury by some because many think Trump cynically started the war to distract attention from the Epstein Files, while others believe the Israelis are blackmailing Trump with the files.

Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has dreamed of this war for 40 years. He sees it as his legacy. As Prime Minister of Israel, he is the one piloting the Chariot of War that is wrecking the world. Donald Trump is his panicking passenger.

This war was also wanted by Zionists who plan to create Greater Israel. Christian Zionists who believe the destruction of Iran will hasten the End Times. Trump’s Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, is one of several Christian Zionists in Trump’s inner circle. Among this inner circle, a quasi-religious cult exists who believe Trump is anointed by Jesus for a divine mission: that Trump is destined to play a pivotal role in the End Times. 

Mike Huckabee, the former Baptist pastor who is now the US Ambassador to Israel, is another powerful member of the cult. Since Netanyahu compared Trump to Cyrus the Great – the Persian king who freed Jews from Babylonian exile – Huckabee and others have taken to referring to Trump as Cyrus the Great. When Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, Israel banners proclaimed, “Cyrus the Great is alive!”. 

For non-evangelicals, these Cyrus-Trump prophecies should be rightfully regarded as frightening. They centre on Trump’s role in Immanentising the Eschaton, hastening Armageddon, signalling the return of Jesus and the end of the world.

Christian Zionism infects the US military command. At the start of Operation Epic Fury, over 200 complaints were made to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation about commanders telling troops the Iran war was “God’s divine plan to trigger Armageddon and Jesus’ return.” 

Another NCO reported a briefing where the commander urged, “Tell your troops this is all part of God’s divine plan.” The Commander then said that Revelations revealed Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran.”

As a narcissist Trump was easily seduced by such flattery. Netanyahu and Christian Zionists like Hegseth convinced him it would be a short war, and one that was religiously ordained. ‘With God on his side’, Trump launched their holy war, believing it would be a cake walk for the US. A viable response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was not considered. There were no concerns about how low interceptor missile stocks were. The US and Israel would simply fly in and blow Iran away in four days and four nights, like Yahweh in scripture. God’s servants would cleanse the evil land with fire and brimstone and await Iran’s inevitable surrender. A short campaign of shock and awe would energise the President’s base. A speedy victory like Venezuela promised another sugar-hit for Trump’s plummeting polls.

The war was launched on a delusion and a prayer. The date for the attack was chosen to coincide with the Jewish festival of Purim. (Yahweh would appreciate that!). Fire and brimstone would rain down on Iran for four days and four nights. Israel would win, then Jesus would return.

It was magical thinking.

What is happening is Rupture, not Rapture. MAGA is splitting. The longed-for Nobel Peace Prize is looking even further out of reach. Trump has one more war to end, but he doesn’t know how.

As the godlike intoxication of military slaughter wears off, Trump is realising how hideously mistaken his decision was. He is searching for an off ramp but there is none.

God save us all.