"Make Them Regret": Iran's Top Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Trump, Netanyahu
Tehran:
Iran's top Shiite cleric has issued a 'fatwa' or religious decree against US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them "enemies of God". The decree from Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi called on Muslims across the world to unite and bring down the American and Israeli leaders for threatening the Islamic republic leadership.
"Any person or regime that threatens the Leader or Marja (May God forbid) is considered a 'warlord' or a 'mohareb'," Makarem said in the ruling, according to Mehr News Agency.
A mohareb is someone who wages war against God, and under Iranian law, those identified as mohareb can face execution, crucifixion, limb amputation, or exile, according to a report by Fox News.
The fatwa added that "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 said that if a "Muslim who abides by his Muslim duty suffer hardship or loss in their campaign, they will be rewarded as a fighter in the way of God, God willing."
The religious decree followed a 12-day war that erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that killed top military commanders and scientists linked to its nuclear programme. Tehran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities. Israel said it aimed to keep the Islamic republic from developing an atomic weapon -- an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.
The fighting culminated after the US joined Israeli forces to attack three of Iran's nuclear facilities, following which Iran bombarded an American military base in Qatar.
What's A Fatwa?
A fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja--a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric. It calls on all Muslims, including the Islamic governments and individuals, to ensure its enforcement.
It is not the first time Iranian clerics have used fatwas to call for violence against an individual.
The most infamous case of a fatwa was one issued in 1989 against author Salman Rushdie after the release of his novel "The Satanic Verses," which many Muslims considered offensive. That decree called for Rushdie's killing, forcing him into hiding. It led to the murder of a Japanese translator and multiple attacks on the book's publishers.
Since then, Rushdie has been subjected to multiple assassination attempts, including a 2023 stabbing attack in upstate New York in which he lost an eye.
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