Originally published PERSPECTIVE: Iran’s Fatwa Against Trump Is an Operational Threat. How Should the U.S. Respond? on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/perspective-irans-fatwa-against-trump-is-an-operational-threat-how-should-the-u-s-respond/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=perspective-irans-fatwa-against-trump-is-an-operational-threat-how-should-the-u-s-respond at Homeland Security
On June 24, 2025, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a fatwa declaring that threats against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—particularly by President Donald Trump—constitute a war against Islam. The ruling cites Qur’an 5:33: “Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against God and His Messenger is execution.” Shirazi concludes that “remaining silent is forbidden” and that Muslims must deliver “severe punishment.”
Fatwas of this nature serve a dual function: they provide religious legitimacy and legal cover for premeditated violence. Within the Islamic Republic’s framework, this constitutes an official declaration of war on the President of the United States.
The regime’s history of extraterritorial operations is well documented: assassinations across Europe, surveillance of U.S. and Israeli targets, plots against dissidents, and material support for terror proxies from Hezbollah to the Houthis.
The new fatwa follows a major humiliation. After President Trump ordered U.S. strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities and openly mocked Khamenei in a press conference, the regime has escalated. It has responded not through formal diplomatic channels, but with religious warfare doctrine.
This fatwa creates doctrinal and legal space for operatives to act, whether directly tied to the regime or inspired by its messaging. And it comes after credible intelligence reports that the regime was exploring assassination plots against Trump ahead of the 2024 presidential election. In that context, this ruling is not the beginning of a threat. It is the continuation of an established targeting doctrine.
Critically, this isn’t limited to foreign theaters. The regime’s networks operate inside the United States. Over the past two decades, Iran has methodically built soft infrastructure through so-called cultural centers, religious networks, and nonprofit fronts. It has also exploited progressive political activism to shield itself from scrutiny.
The regime’s infiltration of Palestinian solidarity movements, college encampments, and parts of the “anti-imperialist” left has created a domestic ecosystem that can serve both as a distraction and, in some cases, as a conduit for operational logistics. What appears to be grassroots activism may, in part, be ideological grooming and infrastructure building.
The category cited in the fatwa—mohārib—translates as “enemy of God.” It is a designation with severe precedent in Islamic jurisprudence, often used by the regime to justify execution without trial. In this case, it targets a sitting U.S. president. Within the regime’s framework, that is not a provocation. It is a license to act.
September 11th began with a fatwa. The Rushdie stabbing did, too. The regime’s asymmetric doctrine thrives on ambiguity. It issues religious rulings and allows loyalists and ideologically aligned actors—whether sleeper cells or radicalized individuals in the West—to interpret and act.
This fatwa provides intent. Iran already has the capability. The only question now is timing.
The U.S. response must match the threat:
First, this fatwa must be treated as a direct, actionable threat. DHS, the FBI, the Secret Service, and the intelligence community must elevate threat levels, increase monitoring of regime-linked institutions, and expand counterintelligence operations focused on IRGC proxies and sympathizers in the United States.
Second, individuals within Iran’s religious hierarchy who issue or support incitement to violence must be designated as terror enablers. Financial sanctions, travel bans, and digital restrictions should be applied uniformly and without exception.
Third, the United States must support a clear policy of regime change, led not by external actors, but by the Iranian people. That includes robust support for Reza Pahlavi, who has publicly accepted a transitional leadership role after millions of Iranians, inside and outside the country, chanted his name as a symbol of national unity. Technical, political, and financial support must be formalized and publicized.
Fourth, coordination with Israel must deepen. Precision strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear, military, and intelligence assets—particularly those linked to asymmetric warfare—must be supported through shared intelligence, cyber operations, and, where appropriate, joint execution. Select political and religious figures who double as operational leaders in Iran’s terror apparatus should be designated and, if necessary, neutralized under counterterrorism authority.
Fifth, the U.S. must conduct urgent screening of Iranian nationals already present within the homeland—including visa holders, green card recipients, and naturalized citizens—who have ties to regime-backed institutions, propaganda arms, or clerical networks. Congress should consider authorizing a national emergency designation to facilitate this process and allocate resources.
These are not partisan measures. They are necessary components of homeland security. The Islamic Republic is not a normal government. It is a transnational threat actor that uses religious law as a framework for violent operations. It does not fear diplomacy. It fears consequence. This fatwa must not be ignored. It is not an opinion. It is a kill order, cloaked in scripture, aimed at a U.S. president. If the United States fails to treat it accordingly, the consequences will not be speculative. They will be kinetic.
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Originally published PERSPECTIVE: Iran’s Fatwa Against Trump Is an Operational Threat. How Should the U.S. Respond? on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/perspective-irans-fatwa-against-trump-is-an-operational-threat-how-should-the-u-s-respond/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=perspective-irans-fatwa-against-trump-is-an-operational-threat-how-should-the-u-s-respond at Homeland Security
Originally published Homeland Security
