One of Iran’s top Shiite clerics, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, has issued a fatwa against US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling them “enemies of God" and urging Muslims worldwide to take action.

The fatwa declares that anyone who threatens or attacks the leadership and authority of the Islamic Ummah (community) is considered a “warlord" or “criminal of mohareb," a term used in Iran’s penal code for one who wages war against God.

“Any person or regime that threatens or attacks the leadership and authority in order to harm the Islamic Ummah and its sovereignty is considered a warlord," Ayatollah Makarem declared in his fatwa.

Ayatollah Makarem stated that support or cooperation with such figures is forbidden for Muslims. He stressed the need for global Muslims to make Trump and Netanyahu “regret their words and mistakes" and said they would be rewarded as “mujahid fi sabilillah" — warriors in the path of God — if they suffered hardships, Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) reported.

“May God protect the Islamic community from the evil of the enemies and hasten the reappearance of the Master of the Age and Time," the fatwa stated.

According to Iran’s Islamic Penal Code, a person proven to be a mohareb may face severe punishments: execution, crucifixion, amputation of the right hand and left foot, or exile.

This fatwa follows a spike in hostilities between Iran, the US, and Israel. Tensions surged after Israel launched air strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites on 13 June, killing senior commanders and scientists. Iran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities. The US joined with strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities

Trump had threatened further action if Iran advanced its uranium enrichment to weapons-grade levels, a development that came after a fragile ceasefire halted the 12-day conflict

Source: News18