Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated following an indirect death threat against former U.S. President Donald Trump, issued through a religious declaration by a prominent Iranian cleric.
The development comes nearly two weeks after Trump made a veiled threat against Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Speaking to reporters, Trump remarked, “We are not going to take him out—at least not for now,” implying potential future action.
In response, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a senior religious authority based in Qom, south of Tehran, issued a fatwa (religious ruling) warning that threats against Khamenei or any Islamic religious leader are not only sinful but also punishable by death under Islamic law.
According to the state-run IRNA news agency, the cleric was responding to a question from a follower about Trump’s recent comments.
Though he did not mention Trump by name, Makarem Shirazi emphasized that “any individual or regime that attacks or threatens an Islamic government or its religious leaders is considered a ‘Mohareb’”—a term in Islamic jurisprudence referring to an “enemy of God” or “warrior against God.”
He added that it is incumbent upon Muslims to confront and hold such individuals accountable, noting that those who punish enemies of Islamic leadership are considered holy warriors and are promised divine reward.
While the message was couched in religious doctrine and avoided direct reference to Trump, it has been widely interpreted as an indirect threat in response to his recent comments about Iran’s supreme leader.