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Iran’s leading Shia religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, has issued a fatwa against US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, branding them as “enemies of God.” According to a report by NDTV on Monday (June 30), the fatwa calls on Muslims worldwide to unite against the two leaders for allegedly threatening the leadership of the Islamic Republic.
Additionally, the fatwa states that any Muslim who faces harm or hardship while fulfilling their religious duties will be rewarded as a warrior in the path of the Creator, Inshallah.
The fatwa further declares that any form of cooperation or support for these “enemies” by Muslims or Islamic states is illegal and forbidden. It urges all Muslims to hold these leaders accountable for their actions and statements, making them regret their conduct.
The issuance of the fatwa follows a 12-day period of violent clashes between Iran and Israel, starting on June 13. Israel conducted airstrikes in Iran, killing top military officials and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Tehran launched missile attacks on Israeli cities. Israel claimed its actions aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran has consistently denied. The conflict escalated when the United States, in coordination with Israel, attacked three of Iran’s nuclear facilities. In response, Iran targeted a US military base in Qatar.
A fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a senior religious authority, calling on Muslims, Islamic governments, and individuals to implement it. Iranian religious leaders have issued fatwas in the past, notably in 1989 against author Salman Rushdie for his novel *The Satanic Verses*, which many Muslims deemed offensive to their faith. That fatwa led to Rushdie going into hiding, the murder of a Japanese translator, and multiple attacks on the book’s publishers. Rushdie has since faced several assassination attempts, including a 2023 knife attack in New York that cost him one eye.
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