WANA (Mar 05) – Abdollah Javadi Amoli, a senior Shiite cleric and one of Iran’s prominent religious authorities, has declared that retaliation against the United States and Israel is a religious duty following the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

 

In a statement issued after again offering condolences for the death of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, said that shedding the blood of Donald Trump and “Zionists” has become obligatory. His remarks effectively constitute a formal religious decree calling for jihad.

 

According to the statement, the ruling effectively amounts to a religious decree calling for jihad, a concept in Islamic jurisprudence referring to a religious duty to struggle or fight in defense of Islam and the Muslim community when it is believed to be under attack.

 

In Islamic legal terminology, a “ruling of jihad” is typically issued by a qualified religious authority and calls on believers to engage in struggle—sometimes including armed resistance—when a Muslim land or population is perceived to face aggression. The declaration is often framed as a collective obligation aimed at defending the community.

 

The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the region following the escalation of conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.

Iranian newspapers with cover photos of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on a street, after he was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes on Saturday, in Tehran, Iran, March 2, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)