In a dramatic escalation of rhetoric and religious decree, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, one of Iran’s most senior Shiite clerics and revered Shia Marja, has issued a fatwa (religious ruling) declaring former US President Donald Trump and current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as "Enemies of God." The fatwa comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, following a 12-day military conflict between Iran and Israel that drew in the United States.

The fatwa, which holds significant religious and political weight in Shiite Islam, specifically states:

“Any person or regime that threatens the Leader or Marja is considered a warlord or a ‘mohareb’.”

In Islamic jurisprudence, particularly under Iranian law, a mohareb refers to someone who wages war against God, a label that carries extreme consequences, including execution, crucifixion, amputation, or exile.

A Call to Global Muslim Community

Ayatollah Shirazi did not mince words. He warned that “any cooperation or support for such enemies by Muslims or Islamic states is haram,” categorically forbidding such alliances. He emphasized that Muslims around the world must unite to resist such leaders and make them regret their words and actions.

He also invoked a spiritual promise, stating:

“If a Muslim suffers hardship or loss in their campaign against these enemies, they will be rewarded as fighters in the way of God.”

The fatwa ends with a prayer for divine protection and a call for the swift return of the Mahdi, the messianic figure in Shiite eschatology who is believed to bring justice and end tyranny.

Backdrop: Iran-Israel 12-Day War

This unprecedented religious ruling follows a violent 12-day conflict that erupted on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched a series of bombing campaigns targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure. According to Iranian sources, these strikes resulted in the deaths of key military generals and nuclear scientists.

Iran retaliated with ballistic missile strikes on Israeli cities, prompting widespread panic in Tel Aviv and Haifa. The violence escalated dramatically when the United States intervened militarily, joining Israel in coordinated attacks on three major Iranian nuclear facilities.

In a retaliatory move, Iran struck a US military base in Qatar, resulting in significant casualties and further elevating fears of a regional war drawing in multiple global powers.

Former President Donald Trump, acting as an international political figure and potential 2028 candidate, had warned earlier in June that any further enrichment of uranium to weapons-grade levels by Iran would result in additional US military responses.

A Religious Edict with Legal Weight

While fatwas do not carry the weight of civil law in all countries, in Iran, especially when issued by top-ranking Marja like Ayatollah Shirazi, they can be seen as legally and theologically binding. The influence of such a ruling extends across Shia-majority countries and regions, and often prompts both individual and governmental responses.

Ayatollah Shirazi's fatwa falls in line with Iran’s historical use of religious decrees in international politics. The most well-known instance is the 1989 fatwa against British-Indian author Salman Rushdie, issued by then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. That fatwa, following the publication of Rushdie's controversial book The Satanic Verses, led to assassination attempts, the murder of translators, and years of hiding for the author.

Rushdie survived a 2023 stabbing in upstate New York but lost his right eye in the attack, believed to be carried out by a follower of the original fatwa.

Fatwa's Wider Implications

The designation of Trump and Netanyahu as “Enemies of God” could have serious ramifications, both domestically within Iran and geopolitically across the Islamic world. The ruling comes at a time when Iran is under pressure from both Western sanctions and internal protests, and may be viewed as a tactic to consolidate religious authority and redirect public attention toward foreign adversaries.

Analysts believe that such decrees can also act as religious signals to proxy groups in Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, potentially escalating covert operations or targeted acts of aggression in alignment with this edict.

Reaction from the Global Community

While the United Nations and major Western powers have yet to formally respond to the fatwa, sources close to the US State Department have called it a “dangerous escalation” and “provocative rhetoric” that could lead to real-world violence. Israel’s foreign ministry termed it “a medieval relic masquerading as diplomacy.”

As of now, neither Trump nor Netanyahu have publicly responded to the ruling. However, US and Israeli security agencies are reported to have increased protection measures for both individuals, viewing the fatwa as a potential incitement to terrorism.

Conclusion

The issuance of a fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi against Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu marks a turning point in the already volatile Middle East landscape. It reinforces Iran’s hardline theological stance and may become a reference point in future confrontations between Iran and the West. With tensions already sky-high due to military actions and nuclear disputes, this latest development adds a religious dimension to an already complex conflict, potentially shifting the tone and strategy of future engagements.

As the world watches closely, the intersection of faith, politics, and military conflict in the Middle East once again threatens global stability.

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