Anyone Threatening Iran’s Leader Is Considered a Mohareb
WANA (Jun 29) – Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a prominent Shia Marja’ (a high-ranking religious authority whom Shia Muslims follow in religious matters), has issued a religious fatwa (an official Islamic legal opinion) in response to a stifta (religious inquiry) concerning recent threats by the United States and Israel against the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In his ruling, he emphasized: “Any individual or government that threatens the leadership or religious authority of the Islamic nation — or God forbid, makes any physical assault against them — with the aim of harming the Islamic Ummah and its sovereignty, is considered a mohareb (a person waging war against God).”
He added that any form of support or cooperation by Muslims with such individuals or states is religiously forbidden (haram), and all Muslims are religiously obliged to make the perpetrators regret their actions.
(In Islamic jurisprudence, a mohareb is someone who takes up arms against the faith or the security of the Islamic community and faces severe punishments, including the death penalty.)
Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a prominent Shia Marja. Social media/ WANA News Agency
Reactions from Other Religious Authorities
Ayatollah Ja’far Subhani strongly condemned Israel’s attacks and threats against Iran. He emphasized that any insult directed at the Islamic Republic or its leadership is unacceptable and a clear sign of the enemy’s desperation and helplessness. He called on Islamic scholars worldwide to issue united statements denouncing these acts of aggression and threats against the Muslim world.
Ayatollah al-Uzma Ali al-Sistani also issued a strongly worded statement from Najaf, Iraq. He condemned both the assassination threats against Iran’s Leader and the potential military aggression against Iranian territory.
He warned that such criminal acts not only violate religious and moral principles but also risk triggering widespread chaos and spiraling the region out of control. He urged international institutions and world governments — especially Islamic countries — to act swiftly to end this unjust war and seek a peaceful solution based on international law.
Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani, another senior Shia cleric, also issued a fatwa declaring that any threat or attack against Ayatollah Khamenei or the Shia religious authority by an individual or a government constitutes moharebeh (waging war against God).
Iran’s Stance at the United Nations
On the diplomatic front, Iran has forcefully condemned the threats against its Supreme Leader in international forums. Amir Saeed Iravani, Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations, sent a formal letter to the UN Secretary-General, the Security Council, and the President of the General Assembly.
In the letter, he described the statements made by American and Israeli officials as “illegal, irresponsible, and terrorist in nature” and called for the strongest possible international condemnation. Iravani reiterated Iran’s inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Iran Urges UN to Condemn U.S. and Israeli Assassination Threats
WANA (Jun 28) – In a strongly worded letter addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the UN Security Council, and the President of the General Assembly, Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, condemned recent statements by senior U.S. and Israeli officials threatening the life of the […]
Foreign Ministry Response
Iran’s Foreign Minister also condemned the offensive remarks and threats made by the U.S. President, calling them “insulting” and “unacceptable.” He warned that such vulgar rhetoric deeply wounds the hearts of millions and must be immediately halted.
Hezbollah Statement
Lebanon’s Islamic Resistance group, Hezbollah, released an official statement calling the threats to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader “reckless, foolish, and dangerously consequential.” The group condemned the remarks and emphasized that such threats are offensive to hundreds of millions of believers and free people around the world.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, said the U.S. fails to understand the stature and popularity of this great religious figure among Muslims and warned that such threats put the entire region at serious risk.
Direct Threat Against Iran’s Supreme Leader
These reactions follow unprecedented remarks by the President of the United States and senior Israeli officials who openly threatened to assassinate the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The direct and explicit nature of these threats triggered a wave of intense domestic and international responses and raised fears of escalating tensions in the Middle East.