Iran Bombed

Shaggy Goat

Daniel 8 records a vision that Daniel received from God. The first part of the vision described a powerful Ram, which represents the resurgence of Persia (modern-day Iran).

The second part of Daniel's vision explains that when the Prince of Persia is at the zenith of its power, an even more powerful kingdom, the Shaggy Goat, will arise (Dan 8:5-8). It will come from the West in a sudden attack.

The Goat is called the King of Greece (Dan 8:21), also known as the King of the North. The King of Greece is not the nation of Greece, but is the civilisation that came out of Greece and the spirit that controls it. Many modern historians and philosophers consider that Western Civilisation emerged out of ancient Greece. The King of Greece symbolises Western Civilisation centred on the United States.

Originally, Western Civilisation was centred on Europe, but since the beginning of the twentieth century, Europe has been eclipsed by the United States. It now dominates Europe in terms of military power and cultural influence. Since the Second World War, Europe has been dependent on the United States. Many European businesses are controlled by United States companies.

European defence has been the responsibility of NATO and is guaranteed by the United States. The United States has developed an enormous arsenal of weapons (including nuclear weapons), and it now uses them to exert its influence in the world. Since the end of the Cold War, it has become the dominant force in the world. America, by default, has become the world's policeman.

During the twentieth century, the United States emerged from Europe's shadow to dominate Western Civilisation, both in terms of military power and cultural influence. The prominent horn on the goat in Daniel 8 represents the United States controlling the Western world. A powerful controlling spirit called the King of Greece is currently working through it.

The United States currently dominates Western Civilisation, in terms of military power and cultural influence, so the goat is the United States. This explains the irony of the King of the North "coming from the West". The vision of the Goat is a prophecy of the United States and Europe, acting as the King of the North, attacking and defeating a Middle Eastern nation.

The Goat has a single large horn. Daniel says that it was "conspicuous and impressive". This symbolises the self-confidence and overconfidence of the United States. The horn also represents massive military power. The military power of the United States exceeds anything that has ever been known, and no nation in the world can match it. The large horn represents power concentrated in one person. It represents the hegemony of the United States president, and its most autocratic president ever, Donald Trump.

Bombing Iran 2025 — Operation Midnight Hammer

Daniel saw the goat, representing the United States, flying into a "great rage" against the King of the South.

He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage (Dan 8:6).

The goat attacked the two-horned ram and tried to destroy it.

The fulfilment of this vision of an aerial attack from the west began through Donald Trump's bombing of Iran in June 2025. Several aspects of Daniel's vision are relevant to what has happened.

• The Goat has a single large horn that was "conspicuous and impressive". This symbolises the self-confidence and brashness of Donald Trump.

• The goat comes "from the west". A goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground (Dan 8:5). The United States is west of Iran. It is "The West".

• "Not touching the ground" symbolises an airborne attack. This was fulfilled on 22 June 2025 when B-2 bombers dropped their bunker bombs on the nuclear sites in Iran under the code name Operation Midnight Hammer. They had flown all the way from Missouri without landing anywhere, and they returned by the same way as they had come. The B-2 bombers flew non-stop for thirty-seven hours and had to be refuelled in the air several times. This was truly "not touching the ground". It is an incredible achievement.

• The Iranian defence forces were unable to prevent this attack. None of the US planes were shot down.

  There was no power in the ram to stand against him (Dan 8:7).

• Various allies and supporters of Iran, like Iraq, Russia and China, chose to do nothing to prevent the attack.

  None could rescue the ram from his power (Dan 8:7).

• Two horns on the ram were broken off. I am not certain about who these two horns are.

  • I suspect that the first horn was General Qasem Soleimani, who was the commander of the Quds Force, a division of the IRCG that specialises in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a branch of the Iranian Armed Forces established in 1979 to protect the Islamic Republic. General Soleimani was assassinated by a US-targeted drone attack in 2020 while organising peace talks.

  • I presume that the second horn that was broken represents Ayatollah Khamenei, who is a spiritual leader of the Shiite people of the war. He was killed by Israeli bombs while in his home with his daughter and grandchildren.

This attack ended after 12 days, when the United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire with Iran. The United States and Iran entered into peace negotiations, but it seems that the United States was not serious about peace, because it attacked Iran again, while pretending to take part in the negotiations. This is perfidity.

Operation Epic Fury

In Daniel 8:5, the Goat came "from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground". This is a long-distance aerial attack.

In Daniel 8:6, the goat attacked the Ram in a different way.

He ran/rushed at him in the fury/wrath of his power (Dan 8:6).

The Goat ran at the Ram. This is not a long-distance aerial attack. It is "running", not "flying". It is a new stage in the longer war in which the United States charges at Iran from much closer in. It is an attack from its military bases and warships that have been stationed in West Asia.

The "running goat" is the unprovoked and unjustified attack on Iran that began on 28 February 2026. Several things should be noted about this attack.

• The Goat "rushed" at the Ram. This attack was done in a hurry, when the US military was not fully prepared.

• Daniel says that he rushed with the "Fury of his Power". This is interesting, because the United States has labelled its attack as "Operation Epic Fury". The parallel is telling.

• Donald Trump seems to be in a great rage against Iran. He seems to be extremely angry.

  He was enraged against him (Dan 8:7).

• Daniel saw the Goat getting close to the Ram.

  I saw it coming near to the ram (Dan 8:7).

  This is what happened throughout January and February 2026. Donald Trump was moving military forces close to Iran. He sent two aircraft carrier groups. He sent large numbers of military transport planes and fighter/bombers.

• Daniel saw the Goat attempting to knock the Ram to the ground and trampling on it.

  The goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it (Dan 8:7).

  The initial attacks did a huge amount of damage in Iran, as economic sanctions have made it difficult for it to maintain an air force and air defence system.

Daniel 8:6b-7 is a description of the attack by the United States and Israel at the beginning of 2026. Donald Trump decided to go in and finish Iran off, because it considered it to be weak after the bombing of the nuclear sites in the previous year and the crippling economic sanctions that the United States has imposed on Iran over the past decades. However, these efforts will be unsuccessful.

Iran Survives

The Goat did not destroy the Ram, just its two horns. Two key rulers have been killed, and many buildings have been destroyed, but the nation of Iran will continue, perhaps with less power. The nation of Persia is mentioned in several prophecies that have not been fulfilled, so Iran will be around for much longer. The Goat trampled on the Ram, but it could not kill it.

Daniel saw the Ram butting to "the West, the North and the South" (Dan 8:4). The moves to the North and West occurred in the 1980s when Iran was attacked by Saddam Hussein, but there has been no move to the South. Following the US and Israeli attack on Iran in 2026, Iran responded by attacking US bases in Bahrain, Dubai, Oman and Kuwait with drones and missiles. These nations had allowed the United States to build bases on their territory in return for a US promise that it would defend them from attack.

This retaliation by Iran against the American client states is the Ram butting to the south. Despite the smashing of the two horns, the Ram has been able to butt to the south. The United States has been unable to protect its military bases in the Gulf States to the south of Iran. The US fifth fleet has been unable to use its huge base in Bahrain. The military power of the United States has been severely disabled. The leaders of these nations have been betrayed by the United States.

United States Declines for a While

In most English translations of Daniel 8, verses 7 and 8 are separated by a paragraph break, but they belong together. Verse 7 describes what happens to Iran, but verse 8 describes the effect on the United States.

Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly (Dan 8:8a).

This is a great description of Donald Trump. A modern translation makes it clear.

The goat grew more and more arrogant.

After Iran was bombed in 2025, Trump boasted about American military power and that he was a great president because he used it so boldly. After he kidnapped the president of Venezuela, he gloated even more. Following the US/Israeli invasion of Iran, Trump has boasted continuously about the massive destruction that his forces have inflicted on Iran. He claims that their military forces have been destroyed, even though this is not true. He boasts that no other president could have done what he has done.

Unfortunately, pride comes before a fall. Daniel warned what would happen.

But as soon as he was strong, the large horn was broken (Dan 8:8a).

The large horn signifies a powerful ruler. Donald Trump is the most powerful and dictatorial ruler that the United States has had so far. His attack on Iran will mark the beginning of his decline. His power will fade.

Daniel explains that when he claims absolute power and military victory, he will be broken. I don't know how this will happen, but something serous will happen to him. He may become ill and be unable to make decisions. He might be assassinated or removed from power by political manipulation. This is consistent with Daniel 11:20b (see Two Despised Rulers).

When the big horn is broken, its power is dispersed.

The large horn was broken, and in its place there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven (Dan 8:8).

I am not sure how this happens. It might mean that power is diffused across the political institutions in the United States (the courts, congress, the presidency and the states).

The four horns could represent three other nations taking power away the United States. Daniel 8:8 could be a description of the breakup of NATO, which has been the military power of the United States and Europe for more than half a century. In effect NATO has been the military arm of the Beast, crushing and destroying people and nations in various parts of the world. Now, Spain and Italy have refused to allow US planes to attack Iran through their airspace. Trump is suggesting that he will withdraw the US from NATO, because European leaders are cowards and NATO is a paper tiger.

Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great (Dan 8:9).

This horn grew up to be the Terrible Beast that Daniel saw in several of his other visions (Dan 7, 11, 12).

Daniel's vision in chapter 8 is not really a warning of the emergence of Iran as a significant power. Rather, it provides a warning signal that the Terrible Beast is developing towards supremacy. The emergence of Iran (Ram) is a sign of a new season when the United States will develop into a terrible beast.

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