Pentagon planning for more naval forces in Mideast as Trump weighs renewed strikes on Iran - report

US President Donald Trump's administration is deliberating on how to approach the Iran war, now in its eighth month, as US midterm elections approach in November.

The US military is planning a potential increase of thousands of naval forces in the Middle East in the coming weeks, the Washington Post reported on Friday. 

The Pentagon intends to move up three aircraft carriers and escort ships into the region to create flexibility in overseeing the war, according to the report

Administration deliberates next move on Iran

The planning comes as US President Donald Trump’s administration deliberates on how to approach the Iran war, which has now entered its eighth month, causing dissatisfaction among the American public and roiling the global economy, according to the WP.

Additional forces deployed to the region will include 20,000 troops, up to 150 fighter jets, and numerous destroyers to launch and fend off missile attacks, it added.

...In an interview published by Time magazine on Thursday, the US President said that it’s  “possible” he will ramp up bombing after the midterms, according to the WP’s report. Around 50,000 US troops are currently deployed in the Middle East, the WP cited US officials as saying. (Read More)

_________________

Senior Researcher Brad Myers Comments,

There are 50,000 US troops already deployed in the Middle East. Now, the US military is set to deploy an additional 20,000 troops, up to 150 fighter jets, and numerous destroyers. In addition, President Trump said that "it's possible" he will ramp up bombing after the midterms.

What are the chances that, in the next three months, the US military along with the Israeli military will do nothing but sit around and watch events take place in Iran?

Dr. Bill Salus says,

Keep an eye on the danger zone in SW Iran, the ancient territory of Elam. Elam is the subject of a 2600-year-old unfulfilled Bible prophecy in Jeremiah 49:34-39. 

It predicts an epic disaster will happen that necessitates a worldwide dispersion of the affected Iranians in the last days. Elam hosts the strategic military nuclear and missile making targets displayed below.

WATCH: Viral Animation Shows How Flydubai Passengers Stopped Cockpit Attack

A viral animated simulation recreates the attack aboard Flydubai FZ1073, from the stabbing in the cockpit to the moment passengers burst in and leveled the diving plane.

A dramatic animated simulation recreating the attack aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 has gone viral online, showing the moments in which the wounded captain and Israeli passengers prevented a catastrophe over Saudi Arabia.

The roughly one-minute clip, shared on X by @Adi13, follows the sequence described by Israeli officials and passengers: the co-pilot attacks the captain with a blade, the two struggle over the controls, and the captain falls to the cockpit floor as the jet plunges toward the ground. The captain manages to unlock the cockpit door, a passenger bursts in and grabs the attacker from behind, and a hand on the controls pulls the plane out of its dive. The video ends with the aircraft in level flight and a Star of David glowing in the clouds.

The real events unfolded Wednesday on a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight carrying 174 passengers. Israeli officials say the Omani first officer stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and tried to crash the plane, sending it into a dive of thousands of feet. Despite serious wounds, Machchhar released the cockpit door. Israeli passengers, cabin crew and off-duty pilots traveling on the flight then overpowered the attacker.  (Read More / WATCH)

Netanyahu: Pilot came to crash plane

Prime Minister says investigation into Fly Dubai attack shows the attacker underwent Islamist radicalization and warns: Whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price | UAE adviser calls incident act of terror for first time.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an update Friday on the investigation into the attempted attack on the Fly Dubai flight, revealing that "as time passes the picture becomes clearer, the attacker underwent Islamist radicalization. He came to crash the plane on its passengers."

"We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price," the prime minister added.

An adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates, Anwar Gargash, earlier called the attempt to crash the Fly Dubai flight "an act of terror." It is the first time the Emirates have officially defined the incident as terrorism. (Read More)

Former Emirates Captain on Sky News: Flydubai Attack Was "an Act of Religious Devotion" | WATCH

Veteran pilot Byron Bailey told Sky News Australia the Flydubai co-pilot's motive was religious, prompting the host to cut him off and steer back to the technical details.

 A veteran airline captain told Sky News Australia that the attack aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 was "probably an act of religious devotion," prompting the host to cut him off and steer the interview back to the technical details of the flight. (Read More / WATCH)

Surveillance Company Tells Cops It Wants to Add Facial Recognition to Flock Cameras

 
As Flock continues to be the center of a nationwide conversation about automatic license plate reading cameras, the company has said that it doesn’t, and won’t, do facial recognition: 

“We will not add facial recognition to our devices,” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said in a recent video. But other, third-party companies are telling cops that they are willing to add facial recognition to data gathered by Flock cameras in order to “close that gap.” 

A company called VIDIZMO is advertising the capability to export footage from FlockOS to its own platforms that do facial recognition, behavior prediction, and racial and gender analysis on live camera feeds. 

VIDIZMO is a several decades-old video analysis and database company that has started offering facial recognition technology to cops within the last six months. In a May email to Johnson City, Tennessee, deputy police chief Michael Adams, a salesperson from VIDIZMO wrote that the company’s product could do facial recognition on both Flock and Axon data in “one searchable platform.” (Read More)

______________________

Senior Researcher Brad Myers Comments,

It is a bit disturbing that we now have, for the first time, third-party companies willing to add facial recognition to data gathered by Flock cameras.

On August 10, 2026, newsnationnow.com published an article titled "Flock camera map: How many are in your neighborhood?" The article quotes Flock as stating that "nearly 100,000 cameras are in place across more than 6,000 communities in 49 states."

Are you aware that there are dozens of countries around the world that already use facial recognition cameras for mass surveillance of their citizens besides the US?  

Do we see trends developing for a number of years that would make it possible for a future totalitarian global government (Daniel 7:23, Revelation 13:7, 15–16) to use facial recognition cameras for the mass surveillance of people throughout the world?

Egypt's army: huge numbers, huge problems

Cairo fields the Arab world's largest force, with over 1.2 million personnel, thousands of advanced tanks and nearly 1,100 aircraft, but mixed equipment from the US, France and Russia creates maintenance headaches that raise questions about real combat readiness.

The Arab world's largest military machine continues to serve as the region's central military pillar. With over 1.2 million personnel in active service and reserves, thousands of advanced Abrams tanks, the only helicopter carriers of their kind in Africa, and an air force numbering nearly 1,100 aircraft, the Egyptian military presents impressive figures that place it 19th globally.

But beneath the striking numbers lie enormous logistical challenges and complex maintenance of mixed equipment from different sources, raising questions about the true operational capability of this force.

According to Global Firepower data for 2026, Egypt ranks 19th worldwide thanks to a combination of massive manpower and unprecedented quantitative strength. The Egyptian military counts approximately 438,500 regular soldiers, alongside some 479,000 reservists and 300,000 internal security personnel, forming a combined force of over 1.2 million. (Read More)

‘Take him out’: New video shows chaos on flydubai flight after attack thwarted

 
Wounded captain filmed explaining he can no longer squeeze his hand shut after copilot ‘hit me so many times’; footage also shows passengers and crew keeping eye on bound assailant.

New footage aired Thursday by Israeli television showed the chaotic moments aboard flydubai Flight 1073 after passengers and crew members thwarted an apparent attempt to crash the plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

In a video clip shared by Channel 12 news, which was filmed from a seat near the cockpit, people shout in a mixture of English and Hebrew, with one person saying “he tried to crash the plane,” in reference to the Omani copilot who stabbed the plane’s Indian captain. Others yell “take him out” in the direction of the cockpit and order people in the cabin to “sit down.”

It was not immediately clear when the camera was first turned on. As a result of the attack, the plane went into a nosedive before Yaniv Hayun, a plumber who helped storm the cockpit to subdue the copilot, stabilized it, allowing a second pair of flydubai pilots onboard to take control of the aircraft and land it. (Watch)

El Al says repatriation flights today canceled, due to UAE pulling approval

Israel’s flagship airliner El Al says its repatriation flights to bring home Israelis stranded in Dubai have been canceled for today, after the United Arab Emirates withdrew its authorization for the flights.

Overnight, it was reported that the UAE had withdrawn its approval. Shortly thereafter, the Transportation Ministry said that delays were expected, but the flights would ultimately proceed.

In a notification linked at the top of El Al’s website,  the carrier now says that “due to the cancellation of approval for Israeli companies to land in Dubai, as was reported by the authorities in Israel, we are forced to cancel, at this stage, our rescue flights (LY974-1 LY972) for tomorrow, Friday, October 2.”

Flights next week remain scheduled, according to the notice. However, these are all sold out.

According to Channel 12, the official cancellation comes after “long hours of conversations between senior officials in Israel and officials in the Emirates did not reach final agreements and approvals for Israeli carriers’ planes to land in the country.” (TOI)

US deploys third aircraft carrier to Middle East, as Saudis give Yemen $60 million to fight Houthis

 

The USS Theodore Roosevelt from the bay doors of a V-22 Osprey after taking off during a Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise in waters south of the Hawaiian Islands, U.S., July 13, 2026. (photo: Marco Garcia, Reuters)

The Trump administration has decided to deploy a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, along with a second Marine division, a US official told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. 

The USS Theodore Roosevelt and an additional division of US Marines will deploy to US Central Command's area of operations.

The move means that, until the US midterm elections, US President Donald Trump will have significantly greater military capabilities and a wider range of options for potential action against Iran. (Read More)

Netanyahu: Israel to join flydubai probe, ‘we’ll find out’ whether Iran was involved

In a wide-ranging CNN interview, the prime minister said UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed agreed that Israel would participate in the investigation. Netanyahu said Israel had no specific warning about the flydubai incident, defended the war against Iran, rejected reports of pre-October 7 warnings, and called the framing of “settler violence” a “tremendous hoax” while condemning vigilante attacks.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would join the investigation into the Flydubai co-pilot suspected in the dramatic incident aboard a flight approaching Israel, saying investigators would soon be able to determine whether Iran had any connection to the event. (Read More) 

Hailing pilot and three Israeli heroes, passengers say midair ‘miracles’ thwarted alleged attempt to crash plane

Indian flydubai pilot saluted for using ‘last moments of his energy’ to click open cockpit door so knife-wielding copilot could be subdued by Israelis, one of whom says he knew how to then stabilize plane from watching TV show about air crashes.

Passengers saved from a copilot’s apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight landed safely in Israel on Wednesday, with the heroes who thwarted him sharing the story of their efforts after arriving at Ben Gurion Airport.

Footage taken by an Israeli on the flydubai rescue flight showed passengers cheering and singing as their plane touched down at Ben Gurion Airport, after their earlier flight from Dubai made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia due to an alleged attempt by the copilot to deliberately crash the plane.

There were reportedly 166 Israelis and eight other passengers on the rescue flight, which departed Saudi Arabia after six hours on the ground. Some were given medical treatment in the terminal. (Read More)

Pilot opened door bleeding, saved hundreds

Captain Samit Machshnahar fought off his co-pilot's knife attack long enough to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to storm in and stop the hijacker's dive toward the ground.

Captain Samit Machshnahar, a veteran pilot with FlyDubai and an Indian national, is fighting for his life in hospital after a knife attack in the cockpit that nearly brought down a passenger jet with hundreds aboard, many of them Israelis.

Machshnahar was stabbed repeatedly by his Omani co-pilot late in the flight, close to Israeli airspace, according to passenger accounts. The co-pilot is believed to have used a sharp object, possibly the emergency axe stored in the cockpit for use after a crash.

Despite severe wounds and heavy bleeding, Machshnahar held off the attacker long enough to unlock the cockpit door, a move that saved the aircraft. The co-pilot had already put the plane into a steep dive in an attempt to crash it, but Machshnahar remained conscious just long enough to open the reinforced door, which is sealed and nearly impenetrable under normal circumstances. (Read More)

Trump: Iran is doing very poorly and will eventually give up

 
President Trump says Iran is struggling and will eventually “give up," while insisting Tehran cannot be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. 

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran is struggling and predicted that the Islamic Republic will ultimately surrender, while reiterating that the US campaign is aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. 

 “They're doing very poorly. I don’t know if they’re going to give up yet, but they will give up," said Trump. (Read More)

_____________________ 

Senior Researcher Brad Myers Comments,

President Trump says Iran is struggling and the Islamic Republic will ultimately surrender to the US. How likely is it that the Islamic Regime and the IRGC, which have been in power since 1979, will eventually surrender to the US without a ground war to remove them from power?

Many political and military pundits in the US have said for months that there will not be a surrender of the Islamic Republic without a bloody ground war. Indeed, an article published by Al Jazeera.com on March 4, 2026, underscores this view:

"Trump's endgame in Iran: 'Regime change' without US boots on the ground — Analysts say it would be difficult, if not impossible, to bring down the Iranian system with US-Israeli air power alone."

Take a close look at what the prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 49:37–38 regarding the regime in power.A

If this passage describes what is currently happening in Iran, how likely is it that the IRGC and government officials will surrender without a ground war removing them from power?

Netanyahu gave the UAE intelligence that indicated Iran was rebuilding its nuclear program.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with new Israeli intelligence indicating that Iran has resumed progress on its nuclear program during a previously unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, CNN has reported.

An Israeli source with knowledge of the meeting told CNN that the intelligence included information about new construction at Iran’s Pickaxe mountain site, roughly 140 miles south of Tehran, which Israel views as a potential location for efforts to rebuild parts of the country’s nuclear program.

Iran dominated the discussions between Netanyahu and the Emirati president amid deepening Israeli-Emirati security cooperation during the ongoing conflict with Tehran. (Read More)

IDF says it has finished operation to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in Mansouri, southern Lebanon

The Israeli military says it has completed a large-scale operation to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern Lebanon town of Mansouri.  

Mansouri is located within the military’s southern Lebanon buffer zone, and residents were instructed to evacuate the area nearly two months ago. 

In recent weeks, troops of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade led an operation in Mansouri with the elite Yahalom Combat Engineering Unit, during which the army says forces destroyed over 600 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, including eight tunnels. (Read More)

__________________________

Senior Researcher Brad Myers Comments,

It is really interesting that the Israeli military forces just destroyed over 600 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, especially in southern Lebanon. In the future, pay close attention whenever you hear or read news about fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli military in southern Lebanon. Why? There happens to be a city in southern Lebanon called Sidon.

Did you know that in 2024, the IDF repeatedly targeted sites in and around the city of Sidon, citing the presence of Hezbollah weapons depots and command centers?

Are you aware that the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 28:20–26 talked about the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon and that God would bring judgment upon it? These prophecies were not fulfilled completely by Nebuchadnezzar II, as many Bible commentaries suggest. Could there be a surprising, bloody ground war between the IDF and terrorist groups in Sidon in the future? 

If you are interested in the prophecies in Ezekiel 28:20–26, read the article by Dr, Bill Salus entitled, 

"Shocking Prophetic Revelation: Ezekiel 28 Precedes Ezekiel 38."

Revealing the Sidon prophecy in Ezekiel 28:20-26 and its Hezbollah connections…

Tel Aviv-bound flight narrowly avoids major disaster, says Israeli officials

Passengers Clap, Hoot As flydubai Flight Lands After Hijack Scare

Bill Gates warns AI could trigger events leading to 1 billion deaths

Microsoft founder issued one of his starkest warnings about artificial intelligence, saying the combination of advanced AI tools and malicious actors could lead to a catastrophe on an unprecedented scale. 

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is issuing an unusually stark warning about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, saying advanced AI tools in the hands of malicious actors could set off a chain of events resulting in catastrophic loss of life. 

In an interview broadcast Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press, Gates told host Kristen Welker that AI is already powerful enough to potentially facilitate events resulting in as many as one billion deaths. 

"AI is definitely powerful enough to drive events that could cause a billion deaths," Gates said.

He then explained what concerns him most: the combination of increasingly powerful AI systems and people intent on using them for destructive purposes.

"There has never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of malicious people using the latest AI tools," Gates said. (Read More)

___________________ 

Senior Researcher Brad Myers Comments,

Is it reasonable to believe that, in the future, a totalitarian global government (Daniel 7:23) under the Antichrist and False Prophet could use malicious government personnel from around the world and the latest AI tools to track down tens of millions of Bible-believing Christians, making it possible for them to be later killed for their refusal to worship the Antichrist? (Daniel 7:21, Revelation 13:7, 15)

Do you think it is possible that the latest AI tools could include things like facial recognition used for mass surveillance, facial recognition with digital IDs, Flock cameras, license plate readers, drones, and robots?

Over 100 Jewish extremist settlers riot near West Bank town, clash with Israeli forces

Three Border Police officers lightly wounded as extremist settlers clash with forces, setting fire to Palestinian property • Riot sought to prevent Palestinian family’s coordinated return to Jalud.

Over 100 Jewish extremists attacked IDF soldiers and Border Police officers near the Palestinian village of Jalud in the West Bank, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, ultimately succeeding in blocking the return of a Palestinian family to its home.

The Jewish extremist attackers wounded three border policemen, burned all or part of the Palestinians’ residence, burned or damaged multiple vehicles both Palestinian and IDF, and hurled rocks at security forces, according to both the IDF and other reports.

The IDF made a rare public admission that its mission of returning the Palestinians had failed so far. (Read More)

________________

Dr. Bill Salus comments.

Keep your eyes on ongoing developments in the West Bank, biblical Judea and Samaria. The Bible predicts that ultimately Israel will seize this and much more territory. Watch my short video below.

Trump: Iran matter ending "very soon"

US president says Tehran is "failing" and in total collapse, vows no nuclear weapon and falling oil prices ahead.

As Israel hears warnings of a possible Iranian attack before its elections, US President Donald Trump addressed the confrontation with Iran on Tuesday, and expressed optimism that it is nearing its end. Speaking at an event launching a new website for the American administration, Trump repeated his commitment that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon, and claimed oil prices will fall in the near term.

"This Iran thing is going to be over very soon. They're failing, and they're in total collapse," Trump said. "They will not have a nuclear weapon, and oil prices are going to come down soon. They're going to go back to the price they were at before I had to make this little foray into the Islamic Republic of Iran."

Asked about the achievements of the campaign against Iran, Trump said the significance of the move will only become clear with historical perspective. "I think in the years to come, books will be written that will tell the history of our country, and they will say this was one of the most important things we did," he said. (Read More)

Iran threatens UAE over Netanyahu visit

Tehran's Foreign Ministry issues sharp condemnation of prime minister's trip to Abu Dhabi, calls on regional states to show vigilance against Israeli presence • Ten-nation summit included Saudi, US, Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain representatives.

(Read More)

US forces to leave last bases in Iraq despite fears Iran will exploit withdrawal

US forces are set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq, leaving the country where 4,500 of their comrades died over more than 20 years of war.

Iraqi security experts have warned that the withdrawal could give Tehran and its allies free rein while also risking a comeback from the Islamic State terror group.

The move was agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by President Donald Trump's administration, even as it wages war against Iran.

"Iran stands to benefit strategically from the coalition's departure because it removes a military presence that for years acted as a counterweight to Tehran's influence in Iraq," said Jasim al-Bahadli, an Iraqi security analyst. (Read More)

Saudi Arabia Among 10 Nations Represented At Netanyahu’s Secret UAE Meeting

Representatives from ten countries — including Saudi Arabia and several other Arab states that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel — reportedly participated in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s secret visit to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.

According to a report by Israel’s Channel 14, citing a senior Emirati official, representatives of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, Oman and Egypt took part in the gathering. (Read More)

Ben-Gvir: ‘We are the masters of the Temple Mount’

 
Hamas “wanted to win. We defeated them, first and foremost here on the Temple Mount,” Israel’s national security minister said. 

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, while visiting the Temple Mount on Monday during Sukkot, declared that despite the “enormous pain” brought on by the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, there is much to celebrate since that tragic event.

“Hamas wanted to defeat us. They called it [the Hamas invasion] the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood,’” Ben-Gvir said. “But today, we are the masters of the house on the Temple Mount.” 

(Al-Aqsa is an Arabic term for the Temple Mount.) (Read More)

 _______________________

Seniiior Researcher Brad Myers commments,

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that Israel is "master of the Temple Mount," in Jerusalem on September 28, 2026.

The Jerusalem Post published an article on August 7, 2019, titled "Temple Institute encourages Jews to hope for Third Temple in new video," which included the following quote:  

"It’s time to vote with our feet and send a clear message to the world that we truly believe that the Temple Mount is ours and we truly hope and pray for the rebuilding of the Third Temple."  

The Temple Institute, on its website templeinstitute.org, states:  

"The Temple Institute is involved, day and night, in making every manner of preparation we can to promote the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. We have reconstructed the Temple vessels, and they are ready for use in the rebuilt Temple."

According to the Bible, a Third Temple will indeed be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15, Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 11:1–3).