It's difficult to avoid ominous warnings about the state of the world right now and the latest sightings of the 'doomsday plane' do little to help that.
Although geopolitical tensions have been high for some time, particularly following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the recent war between the US and Iran has seen things reach a boiling point.
Ever since Donald Trump and Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu teamed up to launch strikes on the Middle Eastern country at the end of February, a large percentage of the population has seemingly been waiting for the rest of the world to get involved.
Although the US leader had previously suggested that things were nearly over, Iran's blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has certainly complicated things, and Trump has made it clear that they have until tonight to move out of the way.
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Most of the world will be praying that any future strikes are not of the nuclear variety, considering the horrific consequences that would lead to, but it seems as if the US army might be preparing for such a scenario, given their doomsday plane has been sighted again recently.
The Boeing E-4B 'Nightwatch' or National Airborne Operations Centre (NAOC) and it is designed to function as an airborne command centre for the US, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars every time it takes to the sky.
While the US has four of these in their fleet, they are expected to be utilised in the event of a national emergency, such as strikes against the president or a nuclear catastrophe, hence why the rest of us might not have long to live, unless you've invested in an underground bunker.
The plane is designed to carry 112 people and that will likely include the president and some of his most senior officials in the event of an emergency, but you shouldn't always panic if you spot one above your head.
The US Air Force states: "In case of national emergency or destruction of ground command and control centers, the aircraft provides a highly survivable command, control and communications center to direct U.S. forces, execute emergency war orders, and coordinate actions by civil authorities."
However, it's clearly the season for it, as it was seen twice in a week last month, so you probably don't need to worry too much about the world ending imminently, especially after it was seen near a US nuclear base in Nebraska on Monday and nothing too drastic has happened since then.
That being said, Trump's ominous warning for Iran earlier this week certainly doesn't bode well, with the 79-year-old threatening to raze the Middle Eastern country entirely.
On Truth Social, he said: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.
"I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?"
Trump added: "We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!"
The president's deadline to Tehran will officially expire at 8pm Washington DC time (1am Wednesday GMT), although the UN has since issued a stern warning to Trump about his potential actions should Iran fail to meet this evening's deadline.
Fortunately, it seems as if the doomsday plane is just undergoing a routine check-up flight for now but given the state of the world, it might not be long until it's needed for real.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, World News
James Moorhouse