Iran Top Cleric Issues Fatwa Against Trump, Netanyahu

Iran’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, has issued a fatwa condemning US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as 'enemies of God', calling for global Muslim unity against them. The fatwa declares that anyone threatening Iran’s Supreme Leader or Shia religious authorities is a 'mohareb'—one who wages war against God—a crime in Iran that can warrant severe punishments such as execution or exile. Shirazi’s decree specifically forbids Muslims from cooperating with or supporting Trump and Netanyahu, and promises spiritual rewards for those who act on this ruling, even if they face hardship. The fatwa follows a sharp escalation in hostilities that began with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, Iranian missile retaliation, and US involvement in striking Iranian nuclear sites. International critics, including commentators in the West, have condemned the fatwa as an incitement to terrorism and a signal of broader ambitions for religiously motivated violence by the Iranian regime. The ruling underscores heightened tensions after the recent conflict and reflects Iran’s efforts to rally the global Muslim community against perceived threats to its leadership.