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Now That Israel Has Entered Gaza, All Eyes Are On Hezbollah, Iran And Turkey

October 29, 2023October 29, 2023 by Michael

Now we are going to find out who was bluffing and who was not bluffing. Israeli troops have gone into Gaza, and we are being told that this is a war that could last for months. Of course it could easily last a lot longer than that. If the stated goal is to eliminate Hamas, that certainly won’t be easy. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling this a second war of independence, and he just told the world that “Never Again is now”…

Netanyahu said troops that he has met in the field are determined to make Hamas pay for its actions on October 7.

“They are determined to eradicate this evil from the world, for our existence and, I add — for all of humanity.”

Netanyahu continued: “We always said, ‘Never Again’. Never Again’ is now.”

So Israel was clearly not bluffing.

Now we shall see what Hezbollah does.

Hezbollah officials have warned multiple times that they will enter the war if Israel goes into Gaza.

Was Hezbollah just bluffing?

So far, a limited number of rockets have been fired back and forth along Israel’s northern border since Netanyahu made his speech…

Several rocket volleys were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel on Sunday, and the Israel Defense Forces said it hit terror cells and sites belonging to the Hezbollah terror group, as skirmishes continued on the northern frontier and the army continues its war with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip in the south.

According to the IDF, rockets were launched from Lebanon at the upper and western Galilee several times throughout the day, setting off sirens in towns including Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, Shlomi, Tuba-Zangariyye, Rosh Pina, Ayelet Hashahar, and Hatzor Haglilit.

If this is all that Hezbollah does, the Israelis will greatly celebrate.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe that Hezbollah was just bluffing, and I think soon we will see some major moves from them.

I also don’t think that Iran was bluffing.

On Sunday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi publicly stated that the Israelis have “crossed the red lines” that Iran had established…

Israel has “crossed the red lines” in Gaza, which “may force everyone to take action,” Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said Sunday, while US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned of an “elevated risk” of a spillover conflict in the Middle East.

Okay, so your “red lines” have been crossed.

What are you going to do about it?

So far, the answer is not much.

But the Iranians are conducting “massive war games” right now…

IRAN has staged massive war games with 200 helicopters and missile launchers as tensions rage over Israel.

Tanks, aircraft and troops were deployed by the Islamic Republic for the exercise dubbed “Authority 1402”.

During these war games, the Iranians have been firing new versions of their domestically-made missiles…

Tehran’s military launched the drills – including using upgraded versions of their domestically-made missiles, Dawn and Diamond.

They also tested new bombs as well as attack helicopters.

The choppers launched missiles in the dark and destroyed the pretend enemy using night vision systems.

Of course these war games are not going to intimidate anyone.

If the Iranians intend to stop what is going on, they are going to have to take action.

For now, the Iranians are limiting themselves to conducting strikes on U.S. bases in the region through their proxies…

Attacks on US military outposts in Iraq and Syria have continued over the weekend. Al-Mayadeen news and other regional outlets have reported that there have been several attacks by Iran-backed militias on Saturday and Sunday. Russian media has also reported on the fresh attacks, calling recent Pentagon airstrikes on Syria an “unsuccessful bid to deter the militias.”

A statement by a coalition of Shia paramilitary groups said, “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the American occupation base in Al-Tanf, Syria, with two drones, which directly hit their targets.” They carried out the attack from just across the Iraq border into Syria.

Reports say separately that the al-Shaddadi base in eastern Syria was also hit with two drones, and al-Omar base and oil field was struck. The latter was reportedly attacked a mere hours after the US airstrikes.

Al-Mayadeen had says ago cited a statement from the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades which said the group is willing to fight “a war of attrition against the enemy that will extend for years.”

The recent U.S. airstrikes were supposed to put an end to this.

Obviously that did not work.

So what is Joe Biden’s next move?

Meanwhile,Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making all sorts of noise.

At a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday, he declared that Israel is “a war criminal”…

Türkiye will introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday.

Speaking at “Great Palestine Meeting,” a pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “Israel, we will also declare you as a war criminal to the world, we are preparing for it, and we will introduce Israel to the world as a war criminal.”

Erdogan stressed that the Western world mobilized its politicians, and media to legitimize the massacre of the innocent people in Gaza, adding: “Israel is committing war crimes.”

And Erdogan also threatened Israel with potential military action…

In comments that have prompted Israeli outcry, and led the country to withdraw its diplomatic presence, president Erdogan suggested assaults on Gaza constituted a “massacre”.

In the same speech, he reportedly said that Turkey can “come at any night unexpectedly” to ecstatic reception from hundreds of thousands of attendees.

The footage, which is currently circulating on X, formerly known as Twitter, purportedly showed the pro-Palestine crowd responding with the chant: “Turkish military to Gaza.”

Would Turkey actually do such a thing?

Erdogan is completely nuts, but I can’t imagine that he would want to risk a direct conflict with Israel.

If Turkey does attack Israel, would the U.S. strike Turkey?

The U.S. and Turkey are both members of NATO, and so that would create quite an awkward situation.

My friends, we have truly entered unprecedented territory.

A major war has erupted in the Middle East, and now we shall watch to see what all of the interested parties do next…

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

About the Author: My name is Michael and my brand new book entitled “End Times” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book I have written six other books that are available on Amazon.com including “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending copies as gifts to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have also started a brand new Substack newsletter, and I encourage you to subscribe so that you won’t miss any of my articles. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is definitely a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

We Are About To Witness One Of The Most Pivotal Moments In Modern History

October 26, 2023October 26, 2023 by Michael

Most people don’t seem to realize that one of the most important moments that any of us have ever witnessed is about to happen. When the Israeli invasion of Gaza officially commences, nothing will ever be the same from that point forward. The entire Middle East will erupt in flames and the global economy will go completely haywire. But Israel doesn’t have a choice in this matter. If our babies were killed, our women were raped and our grandmothers were kidnapped, we would be going to war with Hamas too. Unfortunately, much of the Islamic world is uniting behind Hamas, and so Israel could soon find itself literally fighting a war of national survival.

I know that Israel does not want to fight a multi-front war against multiple Islamic enemies.

But once again, after what Hamas just did to Israeli women and children, there is no choice.

Hamas must be destroyed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the timing of the ground invasion has been decided…

“We are preparing for a ground incursion,” he said in a televised address to the nation. “I won’t specify when, how, how many. I also won’t detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of. And that’s the way it is supposed to be. This is the way, so that we protect our soldiers’ lives.”

However, Netanyahu said the war cabinet and chief of staff had reached a decision on the timing that was unanimous.

He added that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Unity Government partner Minister Benny Gantz, the security cabinet, the chief of staff and heads of the security organizations were “working around the clock” to achieve the main war aims of “eliminating Hamas by destroying its military and governance capabilities and to do everything possible to get our hostages back.”

Of course it is entirely possible that whatever date they have set could be pushed back again.

The Israelis really want to rescue the hostages if possible, and they desperately want to prevent Hezbollah from attacking from the north.

But without a doubt, an invasion is coming.

In fact, the IDF just moved troops and tanks into northern Gaza temporarily in a raid that was designed to “prepare the battlefield” for the coming invasion…

Israeli troops and tanks briefly raided northern Gaza overnight, the military said Thursday, engaging with Hamas fighters and targeting anti-tank weapons in order to “prepare the battlefield” before an expected ground invasion.

The third Israeli raid since the war began came after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes that have left thousands dead, and more than 1 million displaced from their homes, in the small, densely-populated territory.

It is being reported that these forces went about a kilometer deep into Gaza territory, and there were no casualties.

So the raid was a success.

The following is what the IDF had to say about the raid on Twitter…

In preparation for the next stages of combat, the IDF operated in northern Gaza.

IDF tanks & infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts.

The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory.

Sadly, the civilians that remain in northern Gaza appear to be trapped there.

According to one account, Hamas is literally shooting at those that attempt to evacuate south on the main road…

The report explains, “In the call, the IDF officer tells Muhammad that to ‘ensure your personal safety, I’m asking you to urgently go towards Khan Younis’ in the south.”

The Gazan says, “All roads are blocked.”

“When asked if Hamas is blocking the roads, he answers in the affirmative, saying that Hamas was preventing passage south through Salah al-Din Road, the main north-south highway running through the Gaza Strip,” the report says.

And, the Gazan adds, “They are shooting at people.”

Hamas is so evil.

They even hate their own people and want to use them as human shields.

And now more evidence has emerged that appears to directly link the Iranians with the Hamas attacks on October 7th.

The following comes from the Wall Street Journal…

In the weeks leading up to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, hundreds of the Palestinian Islamist militant group’s fighters received specialized combat training in Iran, according to people familiar with intelligence related to the assault.

Roughly 500 militants from Hamas and an allied group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, participated in the exercises in September, which were led by officers of the Quds Force, the foreign-operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the people said.

Senior Palestinian officials and Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of Quds Force, also attended, they said.

If this is true, the Iranians need to be held accountable.

Groups that are “affiliated with Iran” have also attacked U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria “more than a dozen times” during the past couple of weeks…

U.S. forces based in Iraq and Syria have been attacked more than a dozen times by Iranian proxies in the Middle East within the last two weeks, according to the Department of Defense.

Between Oct. 17 and Oct. 26, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least a dozen times in Iraq, while troops in Syria have been attacked four times in that period via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Thursday. He declined to name the group or groups responsible for the attacks specifically but said they are “affiliated with Iran.”

The Iranians are either really stupid, or they are trying to spark an apocalyptic war.

Once the IDF starts storming Gaza, events are going to start moving very rapidly.

And the Biden administration continues to prepare for a worst case scenario. Earlier today we learned that the Pentagon will be sending 900 more U.S. soldiers to the region…

In the Pentagon’s latest move to bolster US defenses in the Middle East against the ‘Iran threat’ – given the increased instances of Tehran proxies attacking US troop installations in Iraq and Syria over the last week – some 900 more Americans soldiers will be dispatched to the region.

A CBS correspondent has cited Pentagon Press Secretary, Gen. Patrick Ryder, who says 900 US troops have deployed or in process of deploying to bolster missile defense in CENTCOM’s mideast region of operations. They are expected to man Patriot, THAAD and Avenger missile systems. Earlier this week US defense officials said these extra missile batteries are being deployed to the theatre ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive in Gaza.

The CBS reporter noted “This comes as Iranian-backed groups continue to attack US miliary in Iraq and Syria.” Fears are growing that a major IDF push into the Gaza Strip would unleash broader retaliation strikes on US bases in the region.

There are some that believe that Hezbollah and Iran are bluffing and that a wider war will not erupt once the Israelis invade Gaza.

I wish that I could believe that.

Sadly, there is no turning back now.

The IDF really is going to conduct a massive ground operation in Gaza.

Then Hezbollah and other parties will start joining the conflict.

We really are on the verge of the unthinkable, and so I would encourage you to prepare accordingly.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

The Final Countdown: Has An Apocalyptic Confrontation Between The U.S. And Iran Become Inevitable?

October 24, 2023October 24, 2023 by Michael

It is becoming clear that the U.S. is going to be heavily involved in the war in the Middle East, and it is becoming clear that this is going to mean a direct confrontation with Iran. Are you ready for that? Are any of us really ready for such an apocalyptic scenario? Hamas and Hezbollah wouldn’t be anything without funding and arms from Iran. So Iran is the “big dog” that is ultimately responsible for all of the terrorism. On the other side, the U.S. is the “big dog” that funds and supports Israel. In the end, it was probably inevitable that the two “big dogs” would tangle eventually.

According to CNN, U.S. officials have intelligence that indicates that Iranian-backed terror groups “are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East”…

The US has intelligence that Iranian-backed militia groups are planning to ramp up attacks against US forces in the Middle East, as Iran seeks to capitalize on the backlash in the region to US support for Israel, according to multiple US officials.

The militia groups have already launched multiple drone attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria.

But the US now has specific intelligence that those same groups could escalate even further as the war between Israel and Hamas continues.

Of course Iranian-backed terror groups have already been attacking U.S. forces over and over again in recent days.

In fact, U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria have been assaulted by such groups a total of 13 times within the past week…

U.S. troops positioned in the Middle East have been attacked 13 times in the last week with a mix of one-way drones and rockets, according to Pentagon officials.

U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed Tuesday that troops in Iraq had been attacked 10 times between Oct. 17-24, while during the same period troops in Syria had been attacked three times.

Pentagon officials said Monday that all the attacks on U.S. troops have Iran’s fingerprints on them, though there is no evidence at this time showing the country’s leaders ordered the attacks.

That last sentence makes me sick.

It doesn’t matter if Iran’s leaders specifically ordered the attacks or not.

These groups only exist because of Iran.

They get their funding and weapons from Iran.

So they are going to do what the Iranians want them to do, and they are not going to do what the Iranians don’t want them to do.

The bottom line is that Iran is responsible.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised that the U.S. would respond “swiftly and decisively” to any attack from Iranian proxy groups…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday warned Iran that the United States would respond “decisively” to any attack by its proxies, as tensions rise with the Israel-Hamas war.

“The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. We do not want this war to widen. But if Iran or its proxies attack US personnel anywhere, make no mistake. We will defend our people, we will defend our security — swiftly and decisively,” Blinken told a UN Security Council session.

Really?

So do it.

Iranian-backed terror groups have already attacked our forces 13 times.

Go get them.

Do you need an engraved invitation?

Needless to say, the Biden administration isn’t eager to fight the Iranians and the terror groups that they sponsor, because that could potentially spark the apocalyptic phase of World War III.

That probably would not be good for Joe Biden’s chances of winning in 2024.

And as the war in the Middle East fully erupts, there are hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens that may need to be evacuated…

The administration, despite its forceful public support for Israel, is deeply alarmed by the prospect of escalation, and in recent days it has turned its attention in part to the complicated logistics of abruptly having to relocate a large number of people, according to three people familiar with the discussions. There were about 600,000 U.S. citizens in Israel and another 86,000 believed to be in Lebanon when Hamas attacked, according to State Department estimates.

Personally, I don’t know why any U.S. citizens would still be in the Middle East at this point.

If you are there right now, you need to understand that a major war is about to erupt.

The death and destruction that we will witness will be off the charts.

So get out while you still can, and you can return once the fighting is over.

Earlier today, I was stunned to learn that French President Emmanuel Macron is interested in putting together an “international coalition” to fight Hamas…

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for the international coalition fighting the Islamic State group to be expanded to also fight Hamas after the October 7 assault on Israel.

Macron, speaking after talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, said that countries fighting ISIS “should also fight against Hamas.”

But I don’t think that it will happen.

I think that Europe will sit this one out, because I think that most western European nations would prefer to stay out of the war in the Middle East.

So it will be the U.S. and Israel on one side, and the Iranians and their proxies on the other.

And it won’t be pretty.

There is one more thing that I wanted to quickly mention before I close this article.

In the year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the number of legal abortions in the United States actually went up…

In the year after the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion, something unexpected happened: The total number of legal abortions in the United States did not fall. Instead, it appeared to increase slightly, by about 0.2 percent, according to the first full-year count of abortions provided nationwide.

Our nation had an opportunity to change direction, but that did not happen.

And now as we prepare to fight World War III, we should not expect our efforts to be blessed.

Of course Iran is not the only opponent that the U.S. has to deal with.

Conflicts with China and Russia are looming as well.

I can definitely understand why the Biden administration is hesitant to start hitting the Iranians and their proxies, but they aren’t going to stop hitting our troops.

So either the Biden administration is going to have to pull all U.S. forces out of Iraq and Syria, or U.S. forces are going to have to start striking back.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

We Haven’t Seen A Subprime Borrower Meltdown Of This Magnitude Since The Last Financial Crisis

October 23, 2023October 23, 2023 by Michael

It is happening again. All over America, borrowers are getting behind on their payments. In particular, subprime borrowers are having a very difficult time paying the bills. Does that ring a bell? That should, because the last time we witnessed anything like this was during the last financial crisis. When things start to go bad, those at the bottom of the economic food chain feel it first, and that is why the numbers that have been coming out lately are so alarming.

For example, the percentage of subprime borrowers that are at least 60 days behind on their auto loans reached 6.11 percent last month.

That figure is the highest ever recorded…

The percent of subprime auto borrowers at least 60 days past due on their loans rose to 6.11% in September, the highest in data going back to 1994, according to Fitch Ratings.

“The subprime borrower is getting squeezed,” said Margaret Rowe, senior director with Fitch.

Let this sink in for a moment.

We never saw a number this high during the Great Recession.

And we never saw a number this high during the COVID pandemic.

So this is really bad.

Credit card delinquency rates at small banks have also hit an all-time record high…

Credit Card Delinquency rates at small banks have reached 7.51%, the highest level ever recorded

Once again, we never saw a number this high during the Great Recession.

And we never saw a number this high during the COVID pandemic.

Needless to say, it isn’t the wealthy that are getting behind on their credit card payments.

Instead, it is ordinary Americans that are deeply struggling to pay the bills in this harsh economic environment.

Alarmingly, early-stage mortgage delinquencies are also spiking…

Meanwhile, early-stage delinquencies (30 and 60 days past due) continued to increase. In September, 48,800 (+5.1%) additional borrowers were 30-days late on their mortgage payments, while 8,700 (+3%) were 60-days late on their mortgage payments. These rates have been going up for the past four months and six months, respectively.

And foreclosures have started to jump at a pace that is absolutely breathtaking…

Home foreclosures are on the rise as Americans continue to grapple with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

That is according to a new report published by real estate data provider ATTOM, which found that foreclosure filings – which includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions – surged 28% in the third quarter to 124,539.

Foreclosures are up 34% from the same time one year ago.

Just like we witnessed in 2008 and 2009, millions upon millions of Americans have gotten way too overextended.

Even though everyone knew that the cost of living was rising much faster than paychecks were, a lot of people out there just kept spending like they always had been.

They thought that things would eventually work out okay in the long run, but instead they just kept getting deeper and deeper into debt.

Now a day of reckoning has arrived, and there are many that simply cannot keep up with all of their payments.

And many are falling out of the middle class altogether.

In all my years of writing, I have never seen poverty increase in the U.S. as fast as it is rising right now.

Recently, we learned that the percentage of Californians living in poverty jumped from 11 percent in 2021 to 16.4 percent last year…

Poverty has increased dramatically in California and the nation, a surge that new studies attribute to the expiration of pandemic-era federal relief programs such as the expanded Child Tax Credit.

The spike has been particularly steep among Black and Latino Californians and children across all ethnicities.

Researchers found 16.4% of Californians were living in poverty last year, up from 11% in 2021. The rate of child poverty more than doubled last year.

What will the final number for 2023 be?

Will it be above 20 percent?

The economy is moving in the wrong direction very rapidly now, and the war in the Middle East hasn’t even fully erupted yet.

So what in the world will conditions look like once that happens?

Our economic prosperity is completely and utterly dependent on cheap energy.

Without it, everything will change.

Once the flow of Middle Eastern oil stops due to the war, the price of oil is going to go completely nuts.

And once that happens, a nightmare scenario could quickly unfold.

In a recent article, Tuomas Malinen detailed what he thinks might happen…

The conflict escalates into a regional war with the U.S. becoming directly involved.

OPEC responds with an oil embargo.

Iran closes the strait of Hormuz.

The price of oil reaches $300/barrel.

Europe succumbs into a full-blown energy crisis due to LNG shortage.

Massive spike in energy prices reinvigorates inflation with central banks responding accordingly.

Financial markets and the global banking sector collapse.

Debt crisis engulfs the U.S. forcing the Federal Reserve to enact yet another financial market bailout.

Petrodollar trade collapses.

Hyperinflation emerges.

I don’t think that he is too far off the mark.

We were already facing a major crisis even without the war in the Middle East.

As I discussed the other day, U.S. banks are closing hundreds of branches and are laying off thousands of workers.

And the truth is that the banks are the beating heart of our entire financial system.

We are so close to a full-blown economic meltdown.

The only thing that could really save us now is if peace broke out in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, this is not going to be a time of peace.

This is going to be a time of war.

So that means that extremely harsh economic conditions are ahead of us, and most Americans are completely and utterly unprepared for such a reality.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

Fighting Has Erupted On Multiple Fronts As Israel Braces For A War Of National Survival

October 22, 2023October 22, 2023 by Michael

It is becoming clear that Israel is going to have to battle enemies on multiple fronts, and that means that this war is going to look a whole lot different than a lot of people thought that it would. If the fighting could have been confined to just Israel and Hamas, there still would have been a lot of death and destruction, but everyone knows that Hamas is no match for the IDF. But if Hezbollah, Syria, Iran and the Palestinians in the West Bank all jump into the conflict, all of a sudden this becomes a war of national survival for Israel, and in such a scenario it is much more likely that weapons of mass destruction will be used. So it should deeply alarm all of us that fighting has now erupted on multiple fronts.

On Sunday, IDF troops clashed with Hamas terrorists inside the Gaza Strip…

Hamas fighters and Israeli forces engaged in limited clashes inside Gaza on Sunday as the Israeli military ramped up airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave ahead of what its spokesperson described as the “next stage” of its war on the militant group.

Hamas claimed its fighters had destroyed two Israeli military bulldozers and a tank in an ambush near the Gazan city of Khan Younis, forcing Israeli troops to retreat without their vehicles. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed its forces had been operating inside Gaza during the incident, and said an IDF tank struck militants who had fired on its troops.

The episode appeared to be one of the first skirmishes between the two sides on the ground inside the strip since war broke out after Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack on Israel which killed more than 1,400 people. On October 13, the IDF said it had carried out raids inside Gaza.

According to the IDF, this raid was part of the preparation for a full-blown ground invasion.

And I think that we are very close to the moment when that full-blown ground invasion will be launched.

Meanwhile, the Israelis have evacuated more towns and villages near the northern border in anticipation of a war with Hezbollah…

On Sunday, the defense minister confirmed that another 14 towns and villages have been told to evacuate, in addition to the 28 initially ordered to do so last week. “According to the IDF and Defense Ministry, the 14 communities being added to the list are: Snir, Dan, Beit Hillel, She’ar Yashuv, Hagoshrim, Liman, Matzuva, Eylon, Goren, Gornot HaGalil, Even Menachem, Sasa, Tziv’on and Ramot Naftali,” Times of Israel details.

Evacuating those areas is a wise move, because fighting along the northern border just continues to escalate…

Fears mounted Sunday that the Israel-Gaza war could swell into a wider conflict amid rising cross-border attacks on Israel’s north from Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and expanding Israeli airstrikes across the region.

On Sunday, Hezbollah released video of a particularly disturbing attack on the Biranit barracks that happened on Friday…

Israel sees Iran-backed Hezbollah as its most serious threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus accused the group early Sunday of “escalating the situation steadily.” He said the recent cross-border skirmishes had produced both Israeli troop and civilian casualties but did not provide additional details.

Hezbollah on Sunday posted a video of what it said was a Friday attack targeting the Biranit barracks near the Lebanon-Israel border, the command center of the Israeli military’s northern division. Footage shared by the group showed an overhead view of a strike on what it described as a gathering of soldiers.

Fighting Hamas and Hezbollah at the same time would be difficult enough, but it appears that Israel will be forced to tangle with Syria as well.

Iran sends enormous amounts of weapons and supplies to Hezbollah by flying them into airports in Syria, and on Sunday the IDF bombed the international airports in Damascus and Aleppo for the third time in ten days…

Syria said it was forced to shut down international airports in Damascus and Aleppo because of the Israeli strike. The Syrian Transport Ministry said landing strips at both airports were damaged by missiles and one civilian worker was killed and another wounded at Damascus International Airport. Israel has carried out several strikes in Syria since the war began, citing the need to prevent Hezbollah and other militant groups from bringing in arms from Iran, which also supports Hamas.

We have also seen clashes directly along Israel’s border with Syria in recent days, and I fully expect an intensification of fighting in that area during the week ahead.

On top of everything else, fighting has also erupted in the West Bank…

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Israeli forces killed at least five people there early Sunday, according to the local Health Ministry. Two were killed in an airstrike on a mosque in the town of Jenin, which the Israeli military said belonged to Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants who had carried out several attacks and were planning another one.

Can the IDF handle enemies coming from all directions at once?

I don’t know.

We shall see what happens in the days ahead.

But I think that it is quite likely that if Hezbollah enters the war the U.S. military will intervene.

Over the weekend, we learned that the Biden administration has decided to send even more air defense assets to the region…

The U.S. will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and additional Patriot air defense missile system battalions to the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Saturday, in response to recent attacks on U.S. troops in the region.

The United States has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.

The Biden administration had been trying to delay a full-blown ground invasion of Gaza for a couple of reasons.

Number one, there was hope that negotiations could secure the release of more of the hostages.

Number two, there was hope that diplomacy could keep Hezbollah out of the war.

But now the time for talk is ending, and the IDF is gearing up for a major ground campaign in Gaza.

Once that happens there will be no turning back, so brace yourselves for what is coming next…

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

A Financial Crisis Is Here! U.S. Banks Are Closing Down Hundreds Of Branches And Laying Off Thousands Of Workers

October 19, 2023 by Michael

I know that there is a lot going on in the world right now, but I just had to write about what is happening to our banks. High interest rates and chaos in the real estate industry are combining to put an enormous amount of pressure on our largest financial institutions. As a result, banks are getting very tight with their money, they are closing down hundreds of branches, and they are laying off thousands of workers. We are in the early stages of the worst financial crisis since 2008 and 2009, and I fully expect conditions to get even worse in the months ahead.

During the first week of October alone, U.S. banks closed a whopping 54 local branches…

Major US banks are continuing to close branches across the US, leaving an increasing number of Americans without access to basic financial services.

Bank of America axed 21 branches in the first week of October, according to a bulletin published by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Friday.

Wells Fargo shuttered 15, while US Bank and Chase reported closing nine and three respectively.

In total, some 54 locations had either closed or were scheduled to close between October 1 and October 7.

That is just one week!

Of course bank branches have been closing at a frightening pace for quite some time now.

Last year, U.S. banks shut down about 2,000 more branches than they opened…

Banks are closing branches faster than they’re opening new ones. U.S. banks closed over 3,000 branches last year while opening just 1,000. JPMorgan Chase led in branch closures last year, shuttering 144 branches, while opening 133. The trend will likely continue as banks face staunch competition for deposits and younger customers from online banks, fintech firms and Big Tech.

Unless you live under a rock, I am sure that you have noticed this happening in your own local area.

For many Americans, a “trip to the bank” is no longer just a few minutes away.

And our banks are also laying off staggering numbers of workers here in 2023…

The largest American banks have been quietly laying off workers all year — and some of the deepest cuts are yet to come.

Even as the economy has surprised forecasters with its resilience, lenders have cut headcount or announced plans to do so, with the key exception being JPMorgan Chase, the biggest and most profitable U.S. bank.

Pressured by the impact of higher interest rates on the mortgage business, Wall Street deal-making and funding costs, the next five largest U.S. banks have cut a combined 20,000 positions so far this year, according to company filings.

The banking industry is in trouble.

Big trouble.

And this is happening at a time when economic conditions are steadily deteriorating.

In fact, we just learned that the Conference Board’s index of leading economic indicators has now fallen for 18 months in a row…

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. declined by 0.7 percent in September 2023 to 104.6 (2016=100), following a decline of 0.5 percent in August. The LEI is down 3.4 percent over the six-month period between March and September 2023, an improvement from its 4.6 percent contraction over the previous six months (September 2022 to March 2023).

“The LEI for the US fell again in September, marking a year and a half of consecutive monthly declines since April 2022,” said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board. “In September, negative or flat contributions from nine of the index’s ten components more than offset fewer initial claims for unemployment insurance. Although the six-month growth rate in the LEI is somewhat less negative, and the recession signal did not sound, it still signals risk of economic weakness ahead. So far, the US economy has shown considerable resilience despite pressures from rising interest rates and high inflation. Nonetheless, The Conference Board forecasts that this trend will not be sustained for much longer, and a shallow recession is likely in the first half of 2024.”

If things are this bad now, what is going to happen if the hot phase of World War III suddenly erupts in the Middle East?

At this point, nobody can claim that the economy is headed in the right direction.

During the first nine months of this year, the number of commercial Chapter 11 bankruptcies was 61 percent higher than it was during the same period a year ago…

A wide array of U.S. businesses have struggled this year. In the first nine months of 2023, commercial Chapter 11 bankruptcies have soared 61% year over year to 4,553, according to Epiq Bankruptcy, which provides U.S. bankruptcy filing data.

61 percent!

Let that number sink in for a moment.

And we have just learned that sales of previously owned homes have dropped to a level not seen since 2010 when the U.S. “was in the midst of a foreclosure crisis”…

Sales of previously owned homes dropped 2% in September from August to a seasonally adjusted, annualized rate of 3.96 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. Sales were 15.4% lower compared with September 2022.

This is the slowest sales pace since October 2010, during the Great Recession, when the market was in the midst of a foreclosure crisis. As a comparison, just two years ago, when mortgage rates hovered around 3%, home sales were running at a 6.6 million pace. The average rate on the 30-year fixed today is right around 8%, according to Mortgage News Daily.

Speaking of home foreclosures, they are up 34 percent compared to the same time in 2022…

Home foreclosures are on the rise as Americans continue to grapple with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

That is according to a new report published by real estate data provider ATTOM, which found that foreclosure filings – which includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions – surged 28% in the third quarter to 124,539.

Foreclosures are up 34% from the same time one year ago.

A new economic crisis is here.

And the truth is that it is going to get a whole lot worse.

So even though things are not great now, enjoy these last few days of relative stability while you still can, because war in the Middle East will soon plunge the entire global economy into a state of great turmoil.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

Every Signal Indicates That War With Hezbollah Is About To Start As Iran Raises The Black Flag

October 18, 2023October 18, 2023 by Michael

All of the signs are telling us that a war between Israel and Hezbollah is imminent. And once it begins, the U.S. and Iran will inevitably get sucked into the conflict as well. We are literally talking about an apocalyptic scenario, and that is going to have enormous implications for all of us. Hezbollah has an arsenal of 130,000 missiles that it can launch at Israeli cities, Iran possesses even greater firepower than Hezbollah does, and the Israelis have quite a few surprises up their sleeves. I will just leave it at that for now. As this war evolves, the entire world will be shocked by the death and destruction that we witness.

Unfortunately, there is no turning back now.

On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran met in Jeddah…

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, where they discussed the current military escalation in Gaza and surrounding areas, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on X.

Based on what they have been hearing from the Iranians, the Saudis must believe that a war between Israel and Hezbollah is imminent, because they have instructed their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately…

Saudi Arabia calls on its citizens to abide by the travel advisory to Lebanon and for those in the country to immediately leave.

The Saudi Embassy in Lebanon said it was closely following developments in south Lebanon, “calling on all citizens to adhere to the travel ban and to leave Lebanese territory immediately for those who are currently in Lebanon.”

The U.S. State Department also seems convinced that big trouble is brewing…

The US is elevating its travel advisory and allowing non-emergency personnel to leave Lebanon after the embassy in Beirut was targeted by Pro-Palestinian protestors who started a fire at the complex.

US military groups deployed smoke and gas to disperse the protestors who gathered at the embassy following an attack on a hospital in Gaza. Hours after the protests began, the State Department issued the travel advisory.

‘The Department authorized the voluntary, temporary departure of family members of US government personnel and some non-emergency personnel from US Embassy Beirut due to the unpredictable security situation in Lebanon,’ the announcement read.

This is likely just the first step toward a full evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

Israel also appears to be preparing for a war with Hezbollah to erupt.

As I discussed yesterday, 28 towns and communities along Israel’s northern border are being evacuated.

On the other side of that border, there are reports that peacekeepers are evacuating in anticipation of the coming conflict…

Arab and Iranian social media channels are publishing footage in which, allegedly, UNIFIL forces, the peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon, are urgently evacuating their base in Naqoura on the border with Israel, in anticipation of war.

In this world, what people actually do is far more important than what they say.

And right now everyone is telling us the exact same thing by their actions.

In Iran, a black flag has been ominously raised above the Imam Reza Mosque.

A black flag flies over the Imam Reza Mosque in Iran, for the first time in history.

If anyone knows what this means, please write . pic.twitter.com/G7rLpvDUQA

— Sprinter (@Sprinter99800) October 17, 2023

There has been a lot of debate about what this could mean.

But without a doubt, it certainly isn’t a good sign to have a black flag flying on top of the world’s largest mosque…

In a historic and unprecedented move, a black flag has been hoisted above the illuminated Razavi dome, of the Imam Reza mosque complex in Iran – a stark departure from tradition as it’s outside of Muharram, the month of mourning in the Islamic calendar.

The Imam Reza mosque complex in Mashhad, Iran, home to the mausoleum of Imam Reza, also known as Ali al-Rida, is an iconic religious complex and the largest mosque in the world by area.

At this stage, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which a full-blown regional war does not erupt.

And the U.S. military has brought a lot of firepower into the region in case that happens…

The United States is amassing a war machine in the Middle East in a clear message to Iran to stay on the sidelines as Israel prepares to launch a ground invasion into Gaza to destroy the terror group Hamas.

Within hours of the horrific onslaught on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7 the U.S. began moving warships, jets and special forces to the region.

Two aircraft carriers including the world’s largest – the USS Gerald R. Ford – have been sent to the eastern Mediterranean, along with scores of planes that could carry out air strikes.

If the U.S. is forced to help defend Israel against Hezbollah, there will be widespread support from across the political spectrum.

Of course there would be exceptions, but overall most members of Congress support U.S. military action if that becomes necessary.

For example, during an appearance on Meet the Press U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham had some very threatening words for both Iran and Hezbollah…

“Here’s my message: If Hezbollah, which is a proxy of Iran, launches a massive attack on Israel, I would consider that a threat to the state of Israel existential in nature,” he added.

Graham said he will introduce a resolution in the Senate to “allow military action by the United States in conjunction with Israel to knock Iran out of the oil business.”

In a direct message to Iran, he said, “Iran, if you escalate this war, we’re coming for you.”

Unfortunately, such threats are not causing Hezbollah to back down.

In fact, there were more clashes along Israel’s northern border on Wednesday…

Hezbollah said it had attacked five locations on Wednesday including an Israeli barracks in Zar’it and a position across the border from Lebanon’s Ras Naqoura area, using guided missiles in several of the strikes.

The Israeli army said it was responding to shots fired at its military posts in the area of Zar’it, and also responding after militants fired anti-tank missiles towards Israel’s Kibbutz Manara and Rosh HaNikra near the border.

The army said it would “continue to strike terror targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization”.

We were warned way in advance that this was coming.

Now the Great Middle East War is here.

The Iranians have hoisted a black flag above their largest mosque, and it appears that things are about to break loose in a major way.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

The U.S. Prepares To Use Military Force Against Hezbollah If It Joins The War Against Israel

October 17, 2023October 17, 2023 by Michael

We are witnessing an old-fashioned standoff in the Middle East right now. The IDF was supposed to have sent thousands of troops storming into Gaza by now, but threats from Hezbollah and Iran have caused Israeli officials to pause. Do the Israelis really want to fight an extremely bloody two front war? Iran has actually brought up the possibility of “pre-emptive action”, but that would inevitably spark a military response from the United States. Do the Iranians really want to fight the U.S. military? There are some that are hoping that this standoff will ultimately allow cooler heads to prevail, but I see it as the calm before the storm.

After everything that has happened, there is no way that Israel can allow Hamas to survive.

And on Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu certainly did not sound like a man that is ready to back down…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a news conference on Tuesday, described Hamas as “the new Nazis,” and called on the world to unite and eradicate the terrorist organization the same way it defeated the Nazis.

During his remarks, Netanyahu also stated that the atrocities that Hamas just committed were “the worst crimes committed against Jews since the Holocaust”…

Hamas-led forces crossed the Israel-Gaza border Oct. 7, slaughtering 1,400 Israeli men, women, children and elderly in what has become the deadliest terror attack in Israel’s history.

“The savagery we witnessed perpetrated by the Hamas murderers coming out of Gaza were the worst crimes committed against Jews since the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said during the news conference.

If the Israeli government were to decide not to invade Gaza, Netanyahu would almost inevitably be forced to resign in disgrace.

The Israeli people want Hamas to be destroyed, and that means going into Gaza.

But if that happens, it will likely mean a two front war.

In fact, Iran’s foreign minister has even suggested that there could be “pre-emptive action” even before the IDF sends troops pouring into Gaza…

“The possibility of pre-emptive action by the resistance axis is expected in the coming hours,” Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in a live broadcast to state TV, as he referred to his meeting with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday.

Earlier Monday, Iran’s top diplomat and president, Ebrahim Raisi had said time was running out to reach a political solution and warned against the expansion of the Israel-Hamas war to other fronts.

Amir-Abdollahian said Monday that “the resistance leaders” will not allow Israel “to do whatever it wants in Gaza”.

Iranian leaders like to make dramatic statements, but I have never seen them talk quite like this.

For example, just check out some of the statements that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei just made in front of the entire world…

– “We MUST Respond to What is Happening in Gaza”

– “The usurper Zionist regime must be prosecuted.”

– “This should be realized by those who want Iran to stop certain Resistance groups, and they shouldn’t have any expectation from us.”

– “All parties should refrain from asking anyone to prevent a group from taking steps in response to the crimes of the Zionists”

– “Our numerous intelligence reports show that the US is formulating the Zionist regime’s current policy, and what is being done is governed by US policymaking. The US must be held responsible for this situation.”

– “If the crimes of the Zionist entity continue, no one will be able to stand up to Muslims and the resistance forces.”

– “Whatever crimes the Zionist regime commits will fail to compensate for its disgraceful defeat during the Al-Aqsa Storm operation.”

So when Israeli forces finally go into Gaza, what will the Iranian response look like?

The first thing I expect to happen is for Hezbollah to join the war.

That would mean a two front war, and the Israelis appear to be rapidly preparing for such a scenario.

In fact, it is being reported that 28 towns and communities in northern Israel are going to be evacuated…

But there are continuing signs the situation is sliding toward that feared two-front scenario, as the IDF has initiated a plan to evacuate all civilians who live within two kilometers of the Lebanese border. They said the repeat rocket and mortar fire make it necessary, also in preparation for potential greater military action.

The country’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) will oversee transferring of Israeli civilians to state-funded guesthouses. In total a whopping 28 towns and communities will be evacuated.

NEMA has listed them out as follows: Ghajar, Dishon, Kfar Yuval, Margaliot, Metula, Avivim, Dovev, Ma’ayan Baruch, Bar’am, Manara, Yiftah, Malkia, Misgav Am, Yir’on, Dafna, Arab al-Aramshe, Shlomi, Netu’a, Ya’ara, Shtula, Matat, Zar’it, Shomera, Betzet, Adamit, Rosh Hanikra, Hanita and Kfar Giladi.

The good news is that a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah has not erupted just yet.

But Hezbollah is calling for “a day of unprecedented anger” on Wednesday…

Lebanon’s Hezbollah group denounced what they said was Israel’s deadly attack on a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians, announcing Wednesday “a day of unprecedented anger” against Israel and Biden’s visit to the country, according to a statement released by Hezbollah late on Tuesday.

“The attack reveals the true criminal face of this entity and its sponsor…the United States, which bears direct and complete responsibility for this massacre,” according to the statement.

And as I write this article, there are reports of vast numbers of protesters heading toward the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

In Beirut, Lebanon everyone is heading towards the US EMBASSY. pic.twitter.com/Q6ncVoWLml

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) October 17, 2023

Needless to say, events could spiral out of control very rapidly.

If Hezbollah does go to war with Israel, the Biden administration has already discussed using military force against Hezbollah…

The White House has been discussing the possibility of using military force if Hezbollah joins the war in Gaza and attacks Israel with its huge arsenal of rockets, three U.S. officials and one Israeli official with knowledge of the situation tell Axios.

Once the U.S. starts bombing targets in Lebanon, there will be no turning back.

All U.S. facilities and bases all over the Middle East would suddenly become targets for Islamic terrorists, and it is likely that we would see terror attacks inside the United States as well.

So going to war should not be done lightly.

But Hezbollah has at least 130,000 missiles ready to be fired at Israel, and once large numbers of missiles start raining down on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem no U.S. president is just going to sit there and watch it happen.

In fact, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already told Arab leaders that we are “not fooling around”…

Two U.S. officials said Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Arab leaders in the region, with whom he’d met in recent days, that the U.S. “is not fooling around” by sending so many military assets to the region in support of Israel.

At this hour, two U.S. aircraft carriers and thousands of troops are in the eastern Mediterranean waiting for orders…

The United States is sending an amphibious task force of thousands of U.S. sailors and Marines toward Israel, where they will be positioned aboard warships in case the conflict there with Hamas expands.

Two defense officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss planned military movements, said Monday that the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group, numbering more than 4,000 sailors and Marines, will join a growing American fleet off the coast of Israel that will include two aircraft carriers and their associated escort ships.

The 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., is deployed with the amphibious task force and trained for a wide array of missions, including some special operations. The USS Bataan and the USS Carter Hall, two of the warships carrying personnel from the unit, were in the Gulf of Oman on Monday, having left Kuwait recently after Hamas’s unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

We really are on the brink of the hot phase of World War III.

Once Israeli troops move into Gaza, we are going to see who was bluffing and who was not.

Unfortunately, I think that we will quickly realize that almost all of the threats being made on both sides were actually real.

The Great Middle East War is here, and it is going to be extremely bloody.

Michael’s new book entitled “End Times” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can check out his new Substack newsletter right here.

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