Top Iranian Cleric Issues Fatwa-Like Warning Against Anyone Harming Supreme Leader, Amidst Trump’s Rhetoric

A senior Shia cleric in Iran, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, has issued a significant religious declaration stating that “any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib” (one who wages war against God and the people). This pronouncement, widely interpreted as a fatwa, is being viewed as an indirect, yet potent, warning directed at figures like President Donald Trump, following his recent assertive rhetoric against Iran and its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The declaration, reported by local media on Monday, June 30, 2025, comes in the wake of escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, exacerbated by recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and Trump’s subsequent public statements.

During the ongoing regional hostilities, Donald Trump had publicly challenged Ayatollah Khamenei’s claims of victory and asserted that U.S. strikes had “obliterated” key Iranian nuclear sites. In a particularly provocative remark, Trump also claimed he deliberately prevented U.S. and Israeli forces from killing Khamenei, stating, “I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death.” He further warned of renewed strikes if Iran resumed nuclear activities that posed a threat.

Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi’s statement declares that anyone who “harms the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, deserves the death penalty.” While not explicitly naming Trump, the timing and context of the declaration strongly link it to the recent exchanges. A fatwa, in Shia Islam, is a legal opinion or interpretation of Islamic law issued by a high-ranking cleric (Marja) and is considered binding for devout Muslims.

This is not the first instance of strong rhetoric or perceived threats from Iranian figures targeting Trump, often linked to the 2020 assassination of Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, under Trump’s orders. In April 2025, an Iranian state-linked newspaper, Kayhan, published an editorial that explicitly called for Trump’s assassination in revenge for Soleimani’s killing, although the Iranian government later distanced itself from that specific phrasing while reiterating its commitment to seeking justice.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also recently warned Trump to abandon his “disrespectful and unacceptable tone” towards Khamenei, cautioning that if such threats continued, Iran would “unveil its real capabilities.”

The latest pronouncement by Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi adds another layer to the complex and often hostile rhetorical exchanges between Iran and the United States, particularly concerning the safety of their respective leaders amidst a volatile regional landscape.