Iranian Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Trump & Netanyahu Over Threats to Supreme Leader

Iranian Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Trump & Netanyahu Over Threats to Supreme Leader

Iran’s Top Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Trump and Netanyahu, Citing Threats to Supreme Leader Khamenei

In a powerful religious decree that has reignited tensions in the Middle East, Iranian Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi has issued a fatwa — a religious ruling — against former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The decree was issued in response to alleged threats against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Shia clerics.

The ruling, delivered in Arabic and reported by The Jerusalem Post, brands Trump and Netanyahu as “enemies” of the Islamic system and strongly condemns any attempts to harm or undermine Iran’s religious leadership. The fatwa asserts that such threats are religiously forbidden and represent a grave sin under Islamic law.

“Defending the Leadership is a Religious Duty,” Says Shirazi

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, one of the most senior Shia authorities in Iran and a figure of significant influence across the Muslim world, emphasized the sacred role of Iran’s Supreme Leader and the broader institution of Marja’iyyat — the religious authority structure within Shia Islam.

“It is clear that threatening the life of any person who is a pillar of the Islamic system, the Marja’iyyat, and especially the Supreme Leader, is forbidden and religiously prohibited,” the Ayatollah wrote. He added that defending such individuals is “obligatory” for Muslims.

“Violating this sanctity is one of the greatest sins,” he warned, further calling for unified action among Muslims worldwide to resist and confront the perceived aggression from the U.S. and Israel.

Global Muslim Unity Urged

The fatwa is not only a condemnation of specific political figures but also a call to action. Shirazi’s decree urges Muslims across the globe to close ranks in the face of what he characterizes as unjust threats to Islamic leadership and the Iranian religious hierarchy.

He stated that this unity is necessary to “confront the perpetrators” and to ensure the integrity and continuity of Islamic governance in Iran and beyond. The fatwa is being interpreted by analysts as both a spiritual ruling and a strategic geopolitical signal.

Context: Long-Standing U.S.-Iran-Israel Rivalries

The ruling comes amid ongoing hostility between Iran and its long-time adversaries, the United States and Israel. Although Trump is no longer in office, his administration’s assassination of top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 and the intensification of sanctions have left a lingering impact.

Netanyahu, known for his aggressive stance against Iran’s nuclear program, has repeatedly warned of military action against Tehran. Israeli leadership has also backed covert operations, including cyberattacks and alleged assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Shirazi’s fatwa adds a potent religious dimension to this geopolitical rivalry, one that could influence public sentiment and potentially incite further tension in the region.

Iranian State and Religious Unity

Iran’s clerical establishment has long positioned itself as the moral and religious authority in the face of Western interventionism. By issuing a fatwa in this context, Shirazi reaffirms the unbreakable link between Iran’s political and religious institutions.

While fatwas vary in legal weight depending on the issuing cleric’s stature and followers, Shirazi’s authority as a Grand Ayatollah ensures the decree will be widely respected among Iran’s Shia population and echoed in clerical circles throughout Iraq, Lebanon, and parts of South Asia.

International Reactions Anticipated

As of now, the U.S. and Israeli governments have not officially responded to the fatwa, but diplomatic observers suggest that the move could inflame already strained relations. It may also lead to increased scrutiny of Iran’s religious rhetoric by Western policymakers, particularly as tensions over Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities remain unresolved.

Security analysts have also raised concerns that Shirazi’s call for confrontation could be interpreted by militant groups as a license for violence — although the fatwa does not explicitly call for armed retaliation.