Senior Iranian clerics have issued firm religious rulings declaring that any attack on Iran’s religious leadership—particularly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei—amounts to a war crime and an act of enmity against Islam.
Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi and Grand Ayatollah Hossein Nouri-Hamedani released separate statements pn Sunday, emphasizing the religious and political significance of Iran’s leadership. They warned that any attempt to undermine or harm the authority of Ayatollah Khamenei would be viewed not only as an act of war against Iran but also a direct affront to the Islamic faith.
Ayatollah Shirazi stated that “any individual or regime that seeks to threaten or attack the religious leadership to weaken the Islamic Ummah and its sovereignty must be treated as an enemy of Islam.” He further stressed that it is strictly prohibited for Muslims or Islamic nations to condone or remain neutral in such cases.
In his religious decree, Ayatollah Nouri-Hamedani highlighted the sanctity of the supreme leadership and warned that any insult toward Ayatollah Khamenei is tantamount to attacking the very foundation of Islam.
He further warned that any party assisting or endorsing such threats would bear equal responsibility for the offense.
These decrees were issued in the aftermath of what Iranian officials described as a “savage assault” carried out by Israel on June 13. Tehran claims that the strikes targeted and killed high-ranking military officials, scientists in the nuclear program, and civilians—including women and children.
Tensions were further exacerbated when former U.S. President Donald Trump alleged that he had previously held back American and Israeli forces from assassinating Ayatollah Khamenei—remarks that were deemed highly provocative by Iranian authorities.
In response, Iran launched a retaliatory barrage of missile strikes on Israeli military and industrial installations. Tehran asserted that it successfully overwhelmed Israel’s defense systems using advanced weaponry. Iranian officials described the counterattack as a “calibrated act of self-defense,” targeting legitimate military facilities in reaction to what it called continued aggression from both Tel Aviv and Washington.
