Islamabad, June 30, 2025: Iran’s top religious leaders have declared that any attack on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is a war crime and a direct assault on Islam, as tensions with Israel and the West continue to rise.
In powerful religious decrees issued Sunday, Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri-Hamedani warned that threats or attacks against Iran’s Supreme Leader will be treated as an act of war against the Islamic Ummah.
Ayatollah Shirazi stated that “any person or regime” targeting Iran’s religious authority aims to harm Islam and must face resistance. He urged Muslims globally to reject and retaliate against such actions. “Those who endure hardship in this path will be rewarded as soldiers of Allah,” he added.
Echoing this, Ayatollah Nouri-Hamedani said, “Insulting the Shiite authority or Ayatollah Khamenei is an attack on the very principles of Islam.” He declared it “obligatory” to support the Supreme Leader, warning that helping his enemies—be it individuals or states—was strictly forbidden.
These fatwas follow Israel’s airstrike on June 13, which Iran calls “brutal aggression.” The strike reportedly killed senior military officers, nuclear experts, and civilians, sparking outrage across Iran.
Tensions intensified after former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he stopped a plan to assassinate Khamenei. In response, Iran launched missile attacks on Israeli military zones, claiming the strikes were a “measured act of self-defence.”
Iran maintains its response was legal under international law, aimed only at military targets after repeated threats from Israel and the U.S.
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