Pastor and author Greg Laurie says an alliance between Iran and Russia is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy and that the United States must continue to stand by Israel in its battle against terrorism. The pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California made the comments on TBN's The Watchman with Erick Stakelbeck as Iran and Russia continue to strengthen their ties. Last Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Turkmenistan, where the two men discussed world affairs and their common bonds, Reuters reported.

Putin told reporters, "We actively work together in the international arena, and our assessments of current events in the world are often very close." Pezeshkian echoed Putin, saying, "Our positions in the world are much closer to each other than to others." Russia has criticized Israel's actions.

Iran funds both Hamas and Hezbollah, two terrorist groups that have attacked Israel in the past year.

The Iranian-Russian alliance is significant not only in world affairs but also prophetically, Laurie said.

"We have Iran as a bona fide ally of Russia," Laurie said. "And that is something that has only happened recently. And this, of course, was spoken of by the prophet Ezekiel. ...He said that the Jewish people would be scattered, which they were. He said they would be re-gathered, which they were. He said they would become a nation, which they have become -- May 14, 1948. And so we see their hostility toward Israel in this horrible attack on Oct. 7, with all the proxies of Iran. ...But now Hezbollah attacking and the war continuing on."

It was a "huge mistake" for the United States to send aid to Iran, he added.

"We've helped to fund what's happening right now in Israel," Laurie said.

Meanwhile, Laurie said he has been shocked by the rise of antisemitism worldwide, particularly on American university campuses.

"I think a lot of these kids protesting in these Ivy League universities -- they don't even know what they're saying, 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.' Do they know what the river is? Do they know what the sea is? What are they even talking about? I was sitting with a group of Gen Z kids doing a little Bible study recently, and I asked them, 'Why do you think kids do this?' And they said they think they're looking for purpose even more than the cause itself. They just want something to march for, to protest against, something to believe in. And I think that's really true."

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