They had company. Lots of it.
53
The Twelfth Imam did the live broadcast from the Qaleh.
No one knew where the program was originating from. The Mahdi hadn’t wanted to go all the way back to Tehran just to use the Supreme Leader’s personal television studio, so Javad brought in a bare-bones crew, a helicopter full of cameras, lights, and sound equipment, and put together a makeshift studio in the dining room. The Mahdi refused to wear makeup, so he was ready when the crew was.
“We interrupt our regular programming to bring you this live special report,” an announcer said back at the main control room in Tehran. “And now, His Excellency, Imam al-Mahdi.”
The red light on the lead camera turned on, and they were under way.
“I praise the merciful, all-knowing, and almighty God for blessing me with another opportunity to address my people all across the globe on behalf of the great Caliphate that is rising and to bring a number of issues to the attention of the international community. I also praise the Almighty for the increasing vigilance of peoples throughout the world, their courageous presence in different international settings, and the brave expression of their views and aspirations regarding global issues. Today, humanity passionately craves acknowledgment of the truth, devotion to God, commitment to justice, and respect for the dignity of human beings. Rejection of domination and aggression, defense of the oppressed, and longing for peace constitute the legitimate demands of the peoples of the world, particularly the new generation of spirited youth, who aspire to a world free from decadence, aggression, and injustice and replete with love and compassion. The youth have a right to seek justice and truth, and they have a right to build their own future on the foundations of tranquility. And I praise the Almighty for this immense blessing.”
Javad stood off to the side, behind the lights and the crew, marveling at the Mahdi’s eloquence, all without notes, without a teleprompter, without a speechwriter or assistance of any kind.
“I address you today because a serious threat to world peace is growing, and growing rapidly. As you know, as I have repeatedly stated, and as I have repeatedly demonstrated in all of my public actions, I have come to bring peace and justice and tolerance for all peoples and all religions and all persuasions everywhere, even while calling every man, woman, and child to submit themselves to the will of Allah and to become good and faithful Muslims before the Day of Judgment. I am reaching out to all of the leaders of this region and visiting them personally when I can. I have even reached out to the American president and offered a hand of unity, if he will but accept it. Despite the enormous gulf between our two peoples, I believe that making peace means that we must discuss our differences and that one must be willing to lay aside one’s doubts and submit to a greater good.
“Yet today I have received disturbing reports that the Zionist forces are preparing for war. They are mobilizing their military. They are calling up their reserve soldiers. They are sending their air force on one so-called preplanned exercise after another. And all the while, their leaders speak lies to the world. They accuse me of preparing for war. But nothing could be further from the truth. I have come to seek peace. How many ways must I say it? Yes, I have control of weapons to defend the Muslim people from aggression and humiliation, but these are for defensive purposes only. Yet the Zionists are hungry for blood — our blood, Muslim blood. We have not reciprocated, but we will not be intimidated.
“That said, I am encouraged by a call I received last night from the United Nations secretary-general. He has asked me to come and address the General Assembly in a special session next Wednesday. I will tell you what I told him. If it can advance the cause of peace, then I would be delighted to go to New York and meet him and address that august body. We Muslims have nothing to fear from frank and open dialogue among the peoples of the earth. For the Caliphate is rising. The Zionists cannot stop us. No one can stop us. This is the will of Allah. The day of Islam has come. Let those who seek peace take note.”
The Mahdi finished the broadcast, removed his microphone, and summoned Javad to him.
“Yes, my Lord?”
“What are these reports of Naphtali going to New York as well?” the Mahdi asked.
“I’m just hearing this myself, Your Excellency,” Javad said. “Reuters is reporting that Naphtali is leaving for New York in the morning. And Al Jazeera is reporting that the foreign minister is heading to Washington as we speak. They say there’s just ‘one last chance for peace.’”
“Our call for peace and the surprise engagement with the Americans are putting the Zionists on the defensive,” the Mahdi said with a faint smile on his lips. “They are having to react to us. This is good. Perhaps our plans are working.”
“Yes, my Lord,” Javad said. “I’m sure they are.”
Javad felt his phone vibrating. He excused himself and stepped aside for a moment. A text message was coming in from Defense Minister Faridzadeh. It was marked URGENT and contained just three ominous words: Khan is missing.
“How ready are we for the retaliation from our neighbors?” the justice minister asked.
Others could have addressed this, but Naphtali answered the question himself. “As ready as we can be,” he replied. “Obviously, we have the Patriot missile batteries in place. We have the Arrow system on full alert as well as our Iron Dome system. The Arrow and the Patriot systems will be focused primarily on taking out Iranian missiles, since they are more powerful, more precise, have relatively sophisticated guidance systems, and could have chemical or biological warheads, or even nuclear warheads we don’t know about. The Iron Dome system will be deployed in the north near the border with Lebanon and in the south along the border with Gaza. We will do what we can, but I think you all know by now that we’re not going to be able to stop every missile, much less every rocket or mortar. We’ll stop what we think are the most serious threats. The rest we’ll have to let through, which means people may have to live in shelters for several weeks. I don’t have to remind you that the Second Lebanon War lasted for thirty-four days, and a million Israelis fled from the north or lived in bomb shelters. That said, the shelters are all stocked with several weeks’ supply of food, water, and basic necessities — even diapers. Every Israeli has a personalized, fitted gas mask now. We’ve been running scores of homeland-defense drills. We’re stocked up on blood supplies and medicines. All the hospitals are on full alert. But that’s all defensive. I want Shimon here to talk about our offensive plans.”
The defense minister stood and prepared to walk the Security Cabinet through a new IDF plan, Operation Black Viper. “Our air force — as good as they are — can only do so much,” Shimon said. “What we learned from the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead in Gaza is that we cannot rely on air power to stop the rockets and missiles. Ultimately, we will have to launch massive ground campaigns, and we have been planning, training, and preparing for just this. Upon the prime minister’s orders, we will launch lightning-fast ground incursions into Gaza and into southern Lebanon, up to — but probably not going past — the Litani River. Our objectives will be clear: to destroy Hamas and Hezbollah rocket and missile launchers and to capture or kill Hamas and Hezbollah forces. If the rockets and missiles stop, it means we’re succeeding. If not, we must keep going. We’re not going to get a second shot at this. We need to clear and hold these territories and stop the missile barrages at their source.”