What Are Christian Podcasts Saying about the Israel-Iran War?

The U.S. entered war with Iran by striking the key nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 21, 2025. Before President Donald Trump decided to take military action, the MAGA movement was divided about going to war in the Middle East. Carl Tucker, Steve Bannon, and Marjorie Taylor Greene warned against a preemptive strike against Iran. Others in the MAGA movement are more hawkish and urged Trump to take swift action to assist Israel.

Nuclear Site at Fordow, Iran

Since Israel launched strikes against Iran’s military and nuclear structures on June 13, I was curious about the reactions of Christian podcasters. When I googled Christian podcasts on the Israel-Iran conflict and listened to some of them, I found that many of them support U.S. military action against Iran.

These podcasts invariably side with Israel, saying that Israel is a special nation with a unique place in God’s plan. God has blessed Abraham and his nation. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great” (Gen. 12:2). Israel is an ally of the U.S. and is fighting a war against a “jihadist government.” Israel has fought Iran’s proxies in the region, the Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis, and now must strike at the “head of the snake” – Iran.

These Christian podcasters linked biblical stories with current events. They reminded the audience that ancient Persia in the Bible is modern-day Iran. When Israel was in exile in Babylon, God raised Persia to liberate the Jews so that they could return to their land. God had anointed Cyrus, the Persian King, to subdue the nations (Isa. 45: 1). “He is my shepherd, and he shall carry out all my purpose” (Isa. 44:28). One podcaster said that Persia enabled the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, and it was a patron of Jewish restoration. This was in sharp contrast to what is happening today, when the ruthless Iranian regime sought to develop nuclear power and threaten Israel’s existence.

Several podcasters said what is happening today fulfills biblical prophecy, citing especially Ezekiel 38–39. Prophet Ezekiel said that Gog, the ruler of the land of Magog, with a coalition of nations, including Persia, Ethiopia, and Put, would go to battle with Israel. But God will defeat the nations, restore the fortunes of Jacob, and show God’s judgment and glory. Some podcasters believe that Magog, a large nation to the north of Israel, is a reference to modern-day Russia. They saw the coalition of Russia, Iran, and other Arab nations against Israel as fulfilling the Ezekiel prophecy.

Christian podcasters and bloggers debated whether the war in the Middle East signals the last days are coming. Greg Laurie, senior pastor of the Harvest Christian Fellowship, says, “While what we are seeing today is not the full fulfillment of that prophecy [in Ezekiel 38–39], it is certainly a foreshadowing.” He explains that the end time will include the Rapture of the Church, the arrival of the Antichrist, and the beginning of the Tribulation Period, culminating in the Second Coming of Christ. He says it is in the best interest of the U.S. to stand with Israel and urges Christians to be prepared and stay alert.

Some podcasters interviewed people on the ground in Israel and Iran. One interviewed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister and former governor of Arkansas. Huckabee strongly encouraged the U.S. to take military action against Iran. The podcaster went so far as to say that God has ordained a Bible-believing Christian as America’s top diplomat in Israel at this time to help navigate Trump.

Two podcasters mentioned the persecuted Christians in Iran. Though their number is small, it is a rapidly growing church. The Al-Ma’idah Initiative interviewed Iranian pastor Mansour Khajehpour to discuss the war between Israel and Iran. He mentioned the suffering and hardships Iranians face, but also said that Iranians saw the war as the liberation of the people from the brutal regime. He criticized the suppression of the Iranian government, the expansion of Iran’s power through its proxies, and the infiltration of Iranians in the West.

Christian podcasts and the blogosphere are full of Zionist rhetoric and support of the U.S. going to war with Iran. Some of them believe in dispensationalism, which emphasizes a literal interpretation of Scripture, especially biblical prophecy. They also hold the view that Israel’s uniqueness is separate from the Church in God’s plan. God has a plan for Israel under the Old Testament and the Church under the New Testament. The Church has not replaced Israel, and God’s promise to Israel will be fulfilled during the millennium period described in Revelation 20.

It is dangerous to interpret the Bible selectively to give religious sanction for political action, especially regarding war. Some of the podcasters think that the war in the Middle East is spiritual warfare and label Iran as “the head of Satan” and must be defeated. They did not hide U.S. imperialistic impulses in the region. They want the U.S. to support Israel so that Israel will become the regional power politically and militarily. As Israel’s closest ally, the U.S. will have a firm footing in the Middle East and exert hegemonic control.

On the surface, Christian Zionism may be good for Israel. But if we examine further, it may be dangerous for the Jews. First, these evangelical podcasters believe in salvation through Christ and Christ’s Second Coming. Some of them are connected with networks in Israel that are actively converting Jews to Christianity.

Second, Christian Zionists in nineteenth-century Britain supported the return of Jews to their homeland to further their colonial and imperial interests. The Jewish settlers would act as their liaison or middlemen in the Ottoman Empire. Today, the U.S. follows the same tactic to use Israel as a tool in the Middle East to exert global hegemony.

Third, as Jewish scholar Atalia Omer has pointed out, these Christian Zionists have appropriated Jewish language, stories, and symbols to support their political project. For example, they have interpreted the Ezekiel prophecy within the framework of their theology of the end times – specifically, a period of tribulation marked by wars and violence preceding the coming of Christ.

As a postcolonial theologian, I challenge the use of the Bible and the ideology of Christian Zionists. The peace of the Middle East cannot rely on military might and political coercion. The military strike on Iran will convince the Iranian government of the need to develop nuclear power for defense. The peace of Israel will only come about with a ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian State so that the two peoples can live side by side. The brutal genocide in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank will never lead to security and peace.