A top Iranian Commander has issued orders to prepare 200,000 young men across the Middle East to prepare for the arrival of the Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will usher in justice across the region before the Day of Judgment, or armageddon, arrives. Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said the surge in violence across the Middle East, including the rise of ISIS, was a sign of the arrival of the messianic Muslim leader. Ibtimes.com reports: Jafari said the current developments in the region, “the formation of [the Islamic State group] and Takfiri [extremist] groups, and the events that occurred in the past years are paving the ground for the emergence of Imam Mahdi,” Middle East Monitor reported. “You can now see the positive results in the readiness of nearly 200,000 young armed in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen.” Shiite Muslims generally believe the Mahdi will arrive following a period of widespread violence and instability, and will usher in justice and an event like the Armageddon, the conclusive battle between good and evil. The comments come as Iran has grown increasingly entangled with several regional conflicts, including in Syria, where Revolutionary Guard forces have been battling to support the embattled dictator Bashar [...]