Iran should prepare for war - Khamenei

For the first time, Iran’s supreme leader is telling his nation that it must prepare for war and “the end of times”, world media have recently reported.

State-owned media outlets, in a coordinated effort, all ran a similar story on Friday highlighting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s message on the coming of the last Islamic messiah.

Shiite theology holds that great wars must engulf the Earth, during which one-third of the world’s population will die in the fighting and another third from hunger, lawlessness and havoc. Israel is to be destroyed, and only then will the 12th imam, the Mahdi, reappear and kill all the infidels, raising the flag of Islam in all corners of the world.

Under the guidance of Khamenei, several centers have been established in Iran on research and information on the coming of the Mahdi, and a conference is held annually on Mahdiism.

“Today we have a duty to prepare for the coming. … If we are the soldiers of the 12th imam, then we must be ready to fight,” Khamenei said.