US & Iran Exchange Heavy Strikes For 5th Day As Trump Warns He’ll Take Out Power Plants Next

US & Iran Exchange Heavy Strikes For 5th Day As Trump Warns He’ll Take Out Power Plants Next

Via ZeroHedge

The Pentagon opened Wednesday morning (US time) by announcing yet another round of strikes on Iran, in what looks like sustained action – also increasingly expanding to include civil and energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic.

“At 6 a.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching a wave of strikes against Iran,” Centcom announced. “The strikes are designed to further degrade military capabilities Iranian forces have used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The US military further indicated it launched a “seven-hour wave” of strikes overnight – and followed during the next day (Wednesday) by a 90-minute wave. Also the evening prior, the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and alongside launching its fourth consecutive night of strikes on the country, also as President Trump freshly warned that if Iran does not return to the negotiating table, “next week it gets really bad for them, because next week comes the power plants.“

“You better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left,” Trump has warned. “Ultimately, we’ll hit energy targets in Iran. Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all of their power plants. We’ll knock out all of their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani announced that at least 30 civilians have been killed across the country over 260 people wounded by American strikes of the last few days.

Airstrikes also reportedly took out an Iranian military barracks in southeastern Iran, leaving seven dead. The Associated Press details that “One strike targeted a barracks for Iran’s 388th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, which operates tanks and armored vehicles, in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iranian state television reported.”

“The report said the Americans fired at least 13 missiles in the attack and that the seven dead included conscripts and career soldiers,” AP continues. “A number of troops were wounded.”

Heavy bombardments have focused on the coastal areas, with US strikes reportedly having hit a civilian maritime control tower in Chabahar, southern Iran – location of country’s only deep-water port outside the Strait of Hormuz, which allows Iran direct access to the Indian Ocean without passing through the Gulf.

As expected, Iran’s IRGC has continued launching a wave of retaliatory strikes targeting critical US military infrastructure across the Gulf and even reaching into Jordan.

The list of targets hit, according to an array of regional sources, include – Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa Air Base, the US Navy’s 5th Fleet support facility, Kuwait’s Ali Al-Salem and Camp Buehring, and Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.

Also, Emirati sources have reported strikes on the critical Fujairah Port, while Kuwait confirms one of its navy vessels was struck, leaving four crew members injured. Additionally, social media is awash with unverified footage showing Shahed kamikaze drones striking Kuwait, as well as massive plumes of black smoke rising from burning facilities in Kuwait. US 5th Fleet HQ locations in Bahrain also show signs of damage from inbound projectiles.

The IRGC has insisted that the “export of oil and gas from the region will be either for everyone or for no one.”

The Iranians have continued to tout their nationalist defiance and have at no point shown signs of backing down as is hoped by Trump:

President Trump continues facing pressure over what’s next or what the ultimate objectives are. Related to this, he was pressed by Fox News Wednesday night about taking Kharg Island. Trump responded:

“We already hit Kharg Island, as you know, twice. Even three times. I said hit everything but just leave that little area from 25 yards out because I don’t want that in terms of the world economy. As far as taking it is concerned, if we degrade them far enough and deep enough back, I would do that.”

Overnight Developments

via Newsquawk…

• US President Trump said in a pre-recorded Fox News interview that they are beating up Iran badly and Hormuz has to stay open, while he added that strikes will continue until he says it is enough, as well as stated they will save energy targets for last and will ultimately hit energy targets. Trump also said they will hit Iran hard on Wednesday night, and that next week will get really bad for Iran, in which they will hit Iran’s power plants and bridges next week unless Iran comes to the negotiating table. Furthermore, he said US officials spoke to Iran on Tuesday and told Iran that it better make a deal.
• 
  
• US Central Command forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran at 15:00EDT/20:00BST on Tuesday, to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while CENTCOM later announced the completion of strikes against Iran.
• 
  
• US struck Qeshm Island in southern Iran, and explosions were heard in the maritime area of eastern Hormozgan and Sirik, while explosions were heard in Bandar Abbas and Hengam Island. Explosions were also heard in Bampur and Chabahar in Iran, although Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim noted officials denied reports of explosions in Chabahar, while explosions were reported in Iran’s port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini, and a mineral water plant in Deloran was hit by three projectiles. Furthermore, reports noted that air defences around the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran became active.
• 
  
• IRGC said it targeted enemy weapons and parts storage in Bahrain and Kuwait, while it targeted a drone ramp in Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem air base and targeted US positions at Jordan’s Azraq base, as well as the US Fifth Fleet Command HQ, fuel facilities and equipment in Bahrain. IRGC said as long as the US evil stays in the region, not a drop of oil and gas will be exported from the region, and that US aggression will have no result other than delaying the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
• 
  
• Iran will respond to the US attacks, Tasnim reported.
• 
  
• Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi said the US is making a mistake if it thinks its military attacks and blockade will force them to request negotiations, but also commented that Iran’s return to negotiations and tolerance regarding the Strait of Hormuz is possible. 
• 
  
• Furthermore, he said the MoU effectively no longer exists and that no country should expect Iran to continue implementing the terms of the memorandum.
• 
  
• Israeli PM Netanyahu is reportedly to travel to Washington on Saturday evening, aiming to meet with US President Trump, Yedioth reported.

IDF destroys Hezbollah stronghold where Nasrallah declared Israel ‘weaker than a spider’s web’

IDF destroys Hezbollah stronghold where Nasrallah declared Israel ‘weaker than a spider’s web’

Yair Kraus

A Kornet anti-tank missile was still sitting inside the Humvee when Lt. Col. S., a reserve deputy commander in the IDF’s 401st Armored Brigade, crossed the border into Lebanon near the northern Israeli community of Avivim.

“We found it before dawn inside a civilian home, aimed toward Israel,” he said. “I have not even had time to hand it over yet.”

He pointed to an assault rifle and a hunting rifle recovered from the same luxury villa in a Shiite village. Israeli forces blew up the house overnight after identifying it as Hezbollah military infrastructure.

The scene offered a glimpse of the campaign now unfolding around Bint Jbeil, a southern Lebanese town long regarded as one of Hezbollah’s most important symbolic and operational strongholds.

Shortly before reporters entered the area, IDF troops cleared the access route to their destination, Bint Jbeil’s so-called Spider Web Stadium. They found and detonated two buried roadside bombs believed to have been planted before the town was captured.

“When you reach a villa in a landscape like this and destroy it because it serves as enemy infrastructure, it hurts,” S. said. “This is such a beautiful country, and it has been turned into military infrastructure. But we have no choice.”

More...

Thirty Thousand People Just Proved The Gospel Still Draws A Crowd

Thirty Thousand People Just Proved The Gospel Still Draws A Crowd

PNW STAFF

In an age dominated by streaming services, social media algorithms, and endless digital distractions, many have assumed that the era of stadium evangelism has come and gone. Why gather tens of thousands of people in one place when a sermon can be watched on a smartphone?

Yet this past weekend, approximately 30,000 people packed Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, for the annual Harvest Crusade led by Pastor Greg Laurie. It was a powerful reminder that despite the constant claims that Christianity is fading, people remain deeply hungry for hope, truth, and the transforming message of Jesus Christ.

They weren't there for a political rally, a championship game, or a superstar concert. They came to hear the Gospel.

That matters.

For more than three decades, the Harvest Crusades have become one of the largest evangelistic outreaches in America. What began in 1990 as a simple desire to reach Southern California with the Gospel has grown into an international ministry that has seen millions attend in person and online, with hundreds of thousands publicly professing faith in Christ.

Greg Laurie's own story explains why the ministry continues to resonate.

Raised in a turbulent home by a mother who struggled through multiple marriages, Laurie was searching for purpose as a teenager during the turbulent days of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Like many young people of that generation, he looked for meaning in the counterculture before encountering the Gospel during the Jesus Movement. That encounter forever changed the direction of his life.

Rather than simply becoming a pastor, Laurie became an evangelist with a passion for reaching people who might never set foot inside a traditional church.

That mission remains remarkably relevant today.

Some critics have suggested that stadium evangelism belongs to another era--that modern outreach should happen exclusively through podcasts, YouTube channels, TikTok clips, or livestreams. Digital ministry certainly has an important place, and countless people have come to Christ through online sermons and Christian media.

But something unique happens when thousands of believers gather together in one place.

Faith becomes visible.

Worship becomes contagious.

The Gospel moves from being another video in someone's feed to becoming a shared experience among real people.

In a culture where loneliness has reached epidemic levels, personal connection matters more than ever. People increasingly report having fewer close friends, less community, and a growing sense of isolation despite being more digitally connected than any generation before them.

A stadium filled with people worshipping together offers something no screen can fully reproduce: the reminder that you are not alone.

The success of the Harvest Crusade is also not an isolated event.

Across America there have been numerous signs that spiritual interest is quietly growing beneath the headlines.

One of the most remarkable examples occurred this spring in Jacksonville, Florida, where more than 7,700 people were baptized during a historic "Baptize America" gathering at Hanna Park. What organizers expected to be a major regional outreach became one of the largest coordinated baptism celebrations in modern American history. 

Thousands lined the shoreline as wave after wave of new believers publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ, while churches from across the country participated in similar baptism events. It was a striking reminder that when people are presented with the Gospel, many are still willing to publicly identify with Christ--despite living in a culture that increasingly pressures believers to keep their faith private.

College campuses have likewise experienced unexpected spiritual awakenings. Universities including Auburn, Ohio State, Florida State, Kentucky, Arkansas, Alabama, and others have hosted large worship nights where hundreds--and in some cases thousands--of students have responded to the Gospel through baptisms and public professions of faith.

These events rarely dominate national headlines.

Conflict sells better than conversion.

Division generates more clicks than discipleship.

Yet beneath the noise of politics and cultural battles, God appears to be quietly moving in places many assumed had become spiritually indifferent.

History reminds us that genuine revivals often begin this way.

The First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, the Welsh Revival, and America's Jesus Movement all began with ordinary people becoming deeply dissatisfied with the emptiness of the world around them and turning toward Christ.

Today's generation faces its own unique crises.

Anxiety, depression, addiction, family breakdown, identity confusion, economic uncertainty, and endless cultural upheaval have left many wondering whether there is something more than the promises offered by modern society.

The Gospel answers that question with a resounding yes.

It offers forgiveness where there is guilt.

Hope where there is despair.

Purpose where there is confusion.

Peace where there is fear.

That message never goes out of style because the deepest needs of the human heart never change.

Technology changes.

Culture changes.

Political movements rise and fall.

But humanity's need for redemption remains exactly the same.

Thirty thousand people gathering in Angel Stadium is encouraging not simply because of the size of the crowd, but because it challenges the growing assumption that America has permanently lost interest in Christianity.

Perhaps the interest never disappeared.

Perhaps millions were simply waiting for someone to invite them.

The Global War On Homeschooling Continues

The Global War On Homeschooling Continues-Now With Prison Time For Parents

PNW STAFF

When did raising your own children become a crime?

That question is no longer hypothetical in Brazil.

In what is believed to be the country's first criminal conviction of homeschooling parents, Audato and Ieda Denardi were sentenced by a court in São Paulo to 50 days in prison for what was described as "intellectual neglect." 

Their daughters were not illiterate, isolated, or academically behind. Quite the opposite. The girls speak multiple languages, study Latin, play piano at an advanced level, and read dozens of classic books every year. Even Brazil's own prosecutor concluded there was no evidence of educational neglect and recommended acquittal. The judge convicted them anyway.

The ruling has shocked homeschool advocates around the world—not simply because parents face jail, but because of why.

The court criticized the family's curriculum for not including state-approved instruction on gender and sex education, tolerance and diversity, and Afro-Brazilian cultural studies. It also faulted the girls' preference for sacred and classical music rather than mainstream Brazilian genres such as funk and trap.

Whether one agrees with every aspect of the family's educational choices is almost beside the point. The larger question is far more significant:

Who ultimately owns a child's education—the parents or the state?

For centuries, Western civilization largely answered that question in favor of parents. Governments established schools to assist families, not replace them. Today, however, that relationship increasingly appears reversed.

Brazil's case is particularly striking because prosecutors themselves found no evidence that the children had been intellectually abandoned. Yet the court still concluded that because the education did not sufficiently reflect government-approved cultural priorities, criminal punishment was appropriate.

This is not merely a debate over homeschooling. It is a debate over whether parents retain the freedom to shape their children's worldview when that worldview differs from prevailing educational orthodoxy.

Nor is Brazil alone.

Germany has long maintained one of the strictest anti-homeschooling regimes in the democratic world. Families who homeschool have faced substantial fines, repeated court orders, and even the removal of children from parental custody. The well-known Romeike family fled Germany seeking asylum in the United States after authorities repeatedly penalized them for homeschooling based on their Christian convictions. Although their asylum claim was ultimately denied, Germany's prohibition on homeschooling remains firmly in place.

Another widely discussed German case involved the Wunderlich family, whose children were temporarily removed by authorities after the parents refused to send them to public school. While some legal rulings later favored the family on procedural grounds, Germany continues to enforce compulsory school attendance rather than recognizing a broad parental right to homeschool.

These examples illustrate an important distinction. Around much of the world, homeschooling is not viewed as an educational alternative. It is viewed as an exception the state may narrowly permit—or prohibit altogether.

More...

Christian Parents In Europe Seek Help From Washington After Swedish Gov’t Seizes Their Children, Calls Church Attendance ‘Religious Extremism’

Christian Parents In Europe Seek Help From Washington After Swedish Gov’t Seizes Their Children, Calls Church Attendance ‘Religious Extremism’

Decision Magazine

A Christian Romanian couple who formerly lived in Sweden has taken their custody battle to Washington, D.C., after being separated from their two daughters for more than three years over parental “religious extremism” allegations. 

Christians and Romanian protesters rallied at the Swedish embassy in D.C. in support of Daniel and Bianca Samson whose children Sara and Tiana Samson were seized by the Swedish social services in December 2022. Sara was 11 and Tiana was 10 at the time. 

The government seized the girls after Sara made a false abuse report at school. The accusation came following an argument with her parents over phone and makeup restrictions. After the girls were taken at school and without their parents’ knowledge, Sara soon admitted that she had fabricated the abuse allegations. Even though prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, the government refused to return the girls, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which legally represents the parents. The child protection services called the couple “religious extremists,” citing the family’s church attendance, which was three times a week, and their refusal to allow the girls to wear make-up. 

The Samsons fought for custody of their children 14 times in court. They said prosecuting attorneys cited their lack of a television in the home and their reading of Bible stories as “violent” and grounds for the religious extremist accusations.

The case reached the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which ruled on March 10 that the case was “inadmissible,” a final decision that cannot be appealed. 

The Samsons immigrated to Sweden from Romania. The couple retained their Romanian citizenship while living in Sweden until Bianca fled Sweden and returned to Romania after social services threatened to seize their other five children. 

Romania’s Senate unanimously approved a declaration calling on Sweden to immediately return Sara and Tiana back to their family, but Sweden has ignored their demand, said Romanian Sen. Titus Corlatean. Corlatean, who raised the proposal for the declaration, and Cristian Ionescu, the senior pastor of Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and president of the Romanian Pentecostal Churches’ Union in the U.S., spoke at the D.C. rally in support of the Samsons. 

“They are not Swedish citizens, so Sweden is keeping [the girls] abusively in their custody against the will of the state of citizenship of our own citizens,” Corlatean told Fox News Digital. 

He also accused Sweden of violating international law and diplomatic relations for holding the Romanian citizens in their care. 

“It’s horrible, and it’s a desperate situation,” Corlatean said. “The girls are asking all the time to be given back to their parents and to Romania, and the social services are lying constantly saying the daughters are refusing to go back to their parents.”

The family has been barred from seeing the girls who have been separated into different foster homes. Both girls have attempted suicide six or seven times, and Sara is now in an adult psychiatric facility.

More...