The Watchman Newscast with Erick Stakelbeck

On today's Watchman Newscast, with the ten-year anniversary of the so-called Arab Spring upon us, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the rise and fall of empires--and "wannabe" empires--in the Middle East over the past decade. From the Muslim Brotherhood to ISIS to Iran to Turkey, rival powers have vied for regional dominance, with Russia and China looming large in the background. Where is it all h...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck visits Jerusalem to get an up-close look at the work of the Temple Mount Sifting Project. In 1999, Islamic authorities illegally excavated a section of the Temple Mount--where King Solomon and Herod's Temples once stood, where Jesus taught and where the Bible says God's divine presence once dwelt. Over 9,000 tons of dirt from the Temple Mount wer...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the increase in attacks against Saudi Arabia and its oil facilities by Iran-backed Houthi rebels--and what it could mean for your wallet. On March 7th, the Houthis launched a series of ballistic missiles and drones out of Yemen against Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura oil processing facility. Although the attack was unsuccessful, the price o...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down four major Middle East stories that developed this past weekend 1) Two US B-52 bombers flew over the Middle East in yet another message to Iran. This time, with an interesting twist--the B-52's were accompanied by fighter jets from Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 2) In a major escalation, Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked civilian...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down reports that the massive oil spill that has devastated Israel's coastline was an intentional act of environmental terrorism by Iran. New evidence reveals that a vessel left Iran in January and eventually dumped hundreds of tons of crude oil off the coast of Israel before returning to Iran, where it is currently docked. The spill has s...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the latest rocket barrage against U.S. forces in Iraq. On Wednesday morning, March 3rd, ten rockets struck Ain Al-Asad airbase, which houses U.S., Coalition and Iraqi troops. Although no Americans were injured, the attack marked yet another serious escalation by the Iranian regime and Iran-backed, Iraqi Shia militias. It was the fourt...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down reports that Israel is discussing the formation of an unprecedented defense alliance with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. This historic "Middle East NATO" could soon come together thanks to the growing threat of a nuclear Iran and Western leaders' failed strategy of appeasement towards the Iranian regime. As new an...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down four breaking Middle East news stories, including a mysterious attack on an Israeli-owned cargo ship, more Israeli airstrikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets near Damascus, Houthi missiles targeting Riyadh and the Iranian regime rejecting an offer of direct talks with the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahi...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the U.S. airstrike against Iran-backed militias in Syria on February 25th. The strike occurred along the Iraq/Syria border and targeted Iraq-based terror militias, including Kataib Hezbollah. At least 17 of these fighters were reportedly killed, including one Kataib Hezbollah member. The airstrike came in response to a series of rocke...

On today’s Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the Biden administration’s announcement that it is seeking to re-join the notoriously anti-Israel UN Human Rights Council. President Trump pulled out of the Council in 2018 due to its persistent bias against Israel. Although it purports to advance the cause of human rights around the world, the Council’s members include known human ri...

On today’s Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the ongoing string of rocket attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq, including a February 22nd barrage that nearly struck the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. Is the Iranian regime using proxies to carry out these strikes, in order to force concessions from the Biden administration? What should the U.S. do—and not do—in response? Learn more a...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the strategic importance of Israel's Golan Heights region. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was non-committal recently when asked if the Biden administration recognized Israel's legal sovereignty over this crucial, mountainous area along the Israel/Syria border. Yet whoever controls the Golan controls the high ground in any fut...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the Biden administration's announcement that it will re-start nuclear talks with Iran, alongside Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. Will the U.S goal of re-entering the disastrous Iran nuclear deal actually make America and the Middle East less--and not more--safe? And will Biden's appeasement strategy embolden the Iranian re...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the major joint naval drill held by Russia and Iran in the Indian Ocean this week. Why should America and Israel be concerned about the growing cooperation between these two regimes? Can Israel really trust Vladimir Putin's Russia? And does Bible prophecy hold an important clue about the future role of this Russia/Iran alliance? Learn...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down Hamas's huge weapons arsenal and how it poses a growing danger to Israel. A senior Israel Defense Forces commander said last week that Hamas has amassed thousands of rockets, plus drones, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to go along with tens of thousands of trained foot soldiers. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Iranian proxy o...

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down what could be the first major foreign policy test of the Biden administration--the deadly rocket attack that struck a U.S base in northern Iraq on Monday, February 15th. One American service member and several American contractors were injured in the assault and a foreign contractor who had worked closely with U.S. forces was killed....

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down news that Israel reportedly carried out airstrikes in and around Damascus late Sunday night that targeted Iranian weapons shipments. The strikes were the latest in a series of similar strikes against Iranian assets inside Syria. Also on Sunday night, the Israel Defense Forces began a surprise military drill, called "Galilee Rose," alo...

Host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down Operation Lightning Storm, a major military drill carried out by the Israel Defense Forces this week on the Israel/Lebanon border. The IDF says that drill was held to prepare for future conflict with the Iran-backed terror organization, Hezbollah. An IDF intelligence assessment released this week found that battles with Hezbollah were "likely" in 2021. Plus, a new...

Host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down President Biden's stunning silence towards the leader of America's closest ally in the Middle East. Biden has now been in office for three weeks and STILL has not spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though he has spoken to the leaders of other key U.S. allies like Britain, Canada and South Korea. What is behind Biden's radio silence towards N...

On today's The Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down news that 11 Iranian nationals were recently apprehended by Border Agents in Arizona after crossing into the United States from Mexico illegally. Should the Biden administration's more lenient policies on border enforcement raise concerns that Iran may try to infiltrate the U.S. through the porous U.S-Mexico border? Plus, learn ho...