A five-month war between the United States, Israel, and Iran — beginning February 28, 2026 — sent oil prices to $126 a barrel before stabilising, as U.S. production surges, China's demand collapse, and diplomatic manoeuvring prevented the catastrophic $200 spike many analysts feared. The fact that a direct military conflict involving Israel and Iran did not trigger global economic collapse points to the fragile, managed nature of the current world order — exactly the kind of 'wars and rumours of wars' that Scripture frames as birth pangs preceding the end. The convergence of Israel, Iran, and global economic disruption centred on the Middle East aligns closely with prophetic warnings in Ezekiel 38, Daniel 11, and Christ's own words in Matthew 24.