UPDATE: Developing…Shortly after this story was originally posted Monday morning (June 23), Iran confirmed a missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar. The damage from the attack is being assessed, but no casualties have been reported at this time.
In the aftermath of the U.S. military bombing Iran nuclear sites over the weekend, many continue to speculate on what will happen next. When will Iran retaliate? What will that look like, and where will all of this lead?
On Saturday (June 21), President Donald Trump announced a U.S. missile strike, called “Operation Midnight Hammer,” on three Iranian nuclear sites. Trump called the mission a “very successful attack” in a social media post on Truth Social, and he later said in a televised address “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” He added that all American forces involved in the mission were safe, but that future attacks on Iran could come in the days ahead if they choose to retaliate against the U.S. The mission followed Israel’s earlier strikes against Iran’s nuclear program.
As many questions remain and more details about this latest strike are released in the days ahead, Christians continue to point to hope in their faith and the need for continued prayer for our military, Israel and the Middle East.
Praying for ‘wisdom and peace’
Clint Pressley, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, urged prayer “for wisdom and peace” in a statement to Baptist Press. On the social media platform X, Pressley posted on Sunday, “Today Gods people gather to worship Our Sovereign Ascended Lord. May He give peace to Israel, protection to our armed forces, and courageous resolve to our President. We trust an All Wise God who has our times in His hands.”
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Brent Leatherwood also encouraged Baptists to pray for service members. Speaker Mike Johnson, a former ERLC board member for eight years, supported Trump’s decision, calling it necessary to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) echoed those prayers, urging “peace through strength.”
“I continue to be grateful for the skill and professionalism of our United States service members. Cindy and I are praying for our military, the President and for a lasting peace,” he posted on X.
See more related links below:
Southern Baptist leaders react to U.S. bombing Iran -Baptist Press
Alarm grows after the US inserts itself into Israel’s war against Iran with strikes on nuclear sites – Associated Press
Iran: Deterring escalation -The World and Everything in It
The Days of False Negotiation are Over: The United States Attacks Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Sites – The Briefing
U.S. Strikes Iranian Nuclear Sites as Trump Warns ‘Pursue Peace or Face More Attacks’ -Crosswalk
Trump thanks God after bombing Iran -Baptist News Global
‘We Love You God’—President Trump Addresses Nation Following Iran Strike; Christian Leaders Respond -Church Leaders
The links above are a sampling of headlines related to the story and are not an endorsement of all viewpoints or reporting.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was compiled from media reports by The Baptist Paper, with reporting from Baptist Press.
