A top Iranian cleric issued a fatwa against US President Donald Trump and his Israeli counterpart over the weekend — calling them ‘enemies of god’ and urging Muslims to take action. The development came even as top Iranian officials insisted that the country would continue its nuclear enrichment policies and a hardline Iranian newspaper called for the execution of IAEA boss Rafael Grossi. The US had helped broker a shaky ceasefire between Iran and Israel last week after 12 days of war that left nearly a thousand people dead.
According to reports, the missive issued by the Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi stressed the need for global Muslims to make the leaders of Israel and the United States “regret their words and mistakes”. The missive claimed that those “threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah” and acting on those threats qualified as a Muharib — someone who wages armed rebellion or triggers violence against society under Shia Islamic laws. The proscribed punishment for such offenses is death.
Israeli officials had repeatedly broached the possibility of assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amidst the war earlier this month. US President Donald Trump had also issued somewhat tangential warnings — contending that the US knew exactly where Khamenei was ‘hiding’. The POTUS also launched a blistering attack against Khamenei over the weekend and claimed that he had saved the theocratic leader from “a very ugly and ignominious death”.
Meanwhile, the hardline Kayhan newspaper — closely associated with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — took a swipe at the International Atomic Energy Agency amid growing concern that Iran will halt cooperation with the nuclear watchdog. The publication accused IAEA boss Rafael Grossi of having ties to the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency and warned that he would be tried and sentenced to death if attempts were made to enter Iran.
Tehran blames the organisation for providing Israel with justification for its attack — which came a day after the IAEA board voted to declare Iran in violation of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has said the IAEA chief was not welcome in Iran, having carried out “malign action” and played a “regrettable role”. Iran also said on Monday that it could not yet be expected to guarantee the safety of IAEA inspectors.