Worthy Christian News > World News > Countdown to Conflict: Missiles Ready, Preemptive Strike Urged, Tensions Escalate

Countdown to Conflict: Missiles Ready, Preemptive Strike Urged, Tensions Escalate

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – In response to Trump’s bombing threats, Iran has put U.S. troops on alert, urged a preemptive strike on Diego Garcia, and readied underground ballistic missiles as tensions rise with the arrival of a U.S. carrier group and B-52 bombers in the region.

Iran warns that any strike would open a costly “Pandora’s box,” with all underground missile bases now launch-ready, according to the Tehran Times—a state-aligned English daily founded in 1979 as the “voice of the Islamic Revolution.”

#EXCLUSIVE
Information received by the Tehran Times indicates that Iran's missiles are loaded onto launchers in all underground missile cities and are ready for launch.

Opening the Pandora's box will come at a heavy cost for the U.S. government and its allies. pic.twitter.com/IR6YsxclYP

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) March 30, 2025

Iranian armed forces are calling for a preemptive strike on the Diego Garcia base to deter a potential U.S. attack.

A senior Iranian official told The Telegraph: “Top commanders are being urged to launch preemptive strikes on the island and its base if Trump’s threats have become more serious.”

He added: “Discussions about the island have intensified since the Americans deployed bombers there.”

The Diego Garcia base hosts B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, making it a key hub for operations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It also houses around 4,000 military personnel and contractors, most of them American.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air force commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, threatened to target 50,000 American troops in the region, stating: “The Americans have at least 10 bases in the region, around Iran, with more than 50,000 troops – this means they are sitting in a glass house. Someone sitting in a glass house does not throw stones at others.”

The IRGC deputy commander also warned that “there is very great capability to harm the US at sea.”

Worthy News reported last week that the U.S. extended the USS Harry S. Truman’s Red Sea deployment, sent another carrier to the region, and deployed five B-2 stealth bombers to Diego Garcia—signaling possible imminent strikes on Iran.

While aboard Air Force One, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that rejecting his nuclear deal could lead to “bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.” He told reporters, “We’ll see if we can get something done. And if not, it’s going to be a bad situation.” He added, “I would prefer a deal to the other alternative, which I think everybody in this plane knows what that is, and that’s never going to be pretty.”

Following the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to President Trump’s threats during a sermon on Monday, stating: “First, if any hostile act is committed from outside, though the likelihood is not high, it will undoubtedly be met with a strong counterstrike. Second, if the enemy, as in previous years, seeks to incite internal sedition, the nation will respond decisively to the instigators, just as it has in the past.”

Earlier in his sermon, he stated, “This criminal, wicked, and malevolent Zionist group must be eliminated from Palestine and the region, and by the grace and power of God, this will happen. Efforts in this regard are a religious, moral, and human duty for all of humanity.”

President Trump has repeatedly backed Israel against Iranian threats, warning in March 2025 that any attack would trigger a strong U.S. response. He stressed confronting Iran is key to Israel’s security and regional stability.

IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM PEACEFUL?

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched to 60% — just below the 90% needed for weapons use. The agency warned that Iran now has enough of this material to make six nuclear bombs if further enriched, a process experts say could be done rapidly.

Despite Iran’s growing uranium stockpile, analysts say it still lacks the technology and expertise needed to assemble a functional nuclear warhead — a complex “weaponization” phase requiring advanced engineering and precision.

Critics of the Iranian regime have been warning for years of Iran’s intentions of developing nuclear weapons, despite Iranian claims publicly that it is only for peaceful purposes. However, the credibility of these denials is eroded by the persistent calls from Iranian leaders for the “Death of Israel,” referring to it as the “Little Satan” and advocating for the destruction of the United States, labeling it as the “Great Satan.” Such rhetoric casts doubt on their declarations of pursuing a peaceful nuclear program.

IRAN’S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS CONNECTED TO PROPHECY?

While the West often views Iran’s nuclear program through a secular lens, the spiritual aspect, which plays a central role in driving Iran’s nuclear ambitions, should not be overlooked. Iran is the only country where Twelver Shi’ism is the state religion.

Twelver Shīʿism, the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, makes up about 85% of Shīʿas. “Twelver” signifies belief in twelve divinely appointed leaders, the Twelve Imams, with the last, Imam al-Mahdi, expected to return as the Mahdi. Twelvers see the Imams as Muhammad’s spiritual and political successors, guiding with justice and interpreting Islamic law and the Qur’an’s inner meanings. They are viewed as infallible (Ismah) and divinely chosen (nass).

The Twelvers believe that the Mahdi is expected to appear in times of extreme chaos, returning alongside Jesus as a messiah to bring peace and establish Islam globally.

Twelver beliefs, Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and threats toward Israel and the West have raised concerns. Critics suggest that Iran’s Supreme Leader might incite conflict to hasten the 12th Imam’s arrival. Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad has even called for the Imam’s return at the UN, asserting that the Islamic Revolution’s primary goal is to prepare for his reappearance.