Iran's top Shia cleric issues fatwa against Trump, Netanyahu; calls them ‘enemies of God'
Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi
, one of
Iran
's most senior Shia clerics, targeting U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The fatwa — a formal ruling under
Islamic law
— brands both leaders as 'enemies of God' and calls for Muslim unity in confronting them.
The pronouncement follows a deadly 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel that escalated into a regional crisis involving the United States.
According to Iranian state-linked Mehr News Agency, Makarem's fatwa declares, 'Any person or regime that threatens the Leader or Marja (May God forbid) is considered a 'warlord' or a 'mohareb'.'
Under Iranian law, the designation of mohareb, or 'one who wages war against God,' carries some of the most severe punishments — including execution, crucifixion, amputation, or exile. This interpretation was cited by Fox News, which reported on the legal implications of such a designation under Iran's penal code.
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The decree further stated: 'Any cooperation or support for that enemy by Muslims or Islamic states is haram or forbidden. It is necessary for all Muslims around the world to make these enemies regret their words and mistakes.'
It also invoked divine reward for any Muslim who suffers loss or hardship in such a campaign, describing it as fighting in the path of God.
Context: War, nuclear fears, and American involvement
This sharp escalation in rhetoric comes on the heels of a devastating military conflict that erupted on June 13, when Israel launched airstrikes inside Iran, reportedly killing high-ranking military officers and nuclear scientists. Tehran retaliated with a series of missile strikes on Israeli cities, while continuing to deny allegations that it was pursuing nuclear weapons.
The violence expanded when U.S. and Israeli forces jointly targeted three nuclear-related facilities in Iran, prompting a fierce response from Tehran. Iran then bombarded an American military installation in Qatar, further deepening tensions across the Middle East.
The weight of a fatwa
A fatwa, particularly one issued by a Marja — a senior authority in
Twelver Shia Islam
— holds deep religious and political weight in Shia-majority Iran. While not necessarily legally binding outside Iran, such decrees are often taken seriously by followers, including Islamic governments and individuals across the Shia world.
Historically, fatwas have been used by Iranian clerics to call for global action. The most notorious example remains the 1989 fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini against author Salman Rushdie over his novel The Satanic Verses. That edict led to decades of assassination attempts, including a brutal stabbing attack in 2023 that left Rushdie permanently blinded in one eye.
As of now, neither the United States nor Israel has officially responded to the decree by the Iranian cleric.
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