The leading Shiite cleric in Iran has issued religious edicts targeting President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The fatwa, announced by Grand Ayatollah Nasar Makalem Siraj, calls on Muslims globally to take action. According to reports, it labels individuals or governments that threaten the leadership and unity of the Muslim community as “warlords” or “mohalebs,” essentially describing them as those who wage war against God.
Under Iranian law, those classified as Mohaleb might face severe penalties like crucifixion, amputation, or exile.
Makalem stated, “Those who endanger the leadership and integrity of the Islamic Umma should be viewed as warlords,” and concluded with a prayer for immunity from these so-called “enemies,” expressing a wish for the swift return of Mahdi, the Shia Islamic Messiah.
British-Iranian commentator Nyak Golbani criticized the fatwa, calling it a dangerous endorsement for global terrorism. He argued that assaults within Iran are not just aimed at local opposition but reflect wider international aims for violence driven by religious motives. Through a post, he emphasized, “The West must understand that the Islamic Republic is not only attacking its citizens but is gearing up for global conflict in the name of religion.”
This fatwa followed an event termed the “12-Day War,” during which both the US and Israeli efforts seemingly inflicted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Israeli airstrikes on June 13 reportedly targeted Iran’s nuclear and military sites, resulting in the deaths of high-ranking scientists and military officials. In retaliation, Iran fired a ballistic missile at an Israeli city. The US entered the fray a week later, attacking three Iranian nuclear locations.
Trump had cautioned that if Iran further enriched uranium to weapons-grade levels, it could provoke additional American military responses. This warning came after a brief ceasefire that had ended a twelve-day period of violence.
Historically, this isn’t the first instance of Iranian clerics invoking fatwas to incite violence. A notorious example dates back to 1989 when a fatwa was issued against author Salman Rushdie after his novel “The Satanic Verses” was released. This resulted in the murder of Japanese translators and multiple attacks on the publisher. Rushdie, who has endured various assassination attempts, was attacked in a stabbing incident in upstate New York in 2023.
