The fatwa declares that any individual or government that threatens the leadership and unity of the Islamic world—known as the Ummah—should be regarded as a “warlord” or “mohareb,” a term meaning one who wages war against God. Under Iranian law, those labeled mohareb may be subject to execution.
"Those who threaten the leadership and integrity of the Islamic Ummah are to be considered warlords," Makarem said.
The decree follows what observers have dubbed the “12-Day War,” a series of military operations that resulted in severe damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Iranian terror proxies have been at war with Israel for decades, but since the Oct 7, 2023, have dialed up their attacks on Israel. The Iranian terror regime regularly calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
On June 13, Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian nuclear and military installations, killing several high-ranking scientists and commanders. Iran then launched ballistic missiles at Israeli cities. A week later, the United States entered the conflict by striking three Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump had previously warned that if Iran resumed enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels, it would provoke additional American military responses. This statement came shortly after a brief ceasefire collapsed, reigniting the conflict.
According to Fox News, recent high-resolution satellite imagery confirms extensive damage at Iran’s underground Fordow uranium enrichment site, located near Qom, approximately 60 miles southwest of Tehran. The facility was struck by US forces on June 22 using bunker-buster bombs, resulting in six major craters and a wide spread of debris.
A follow-up strike by Israel on June 23 reportedly targeted road access to the site.
However, the images also show construction equipment and personnel near the site’s northern shaft, with visible burn marks and destroyed buildings nearby.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing that all three Iranian nuclear sites hit in the coordinated strikes “sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.”
Israel also announced additional military operations targeting Iran’s Evin prison and multiple Iranian military command centers. The Israel Defense Forces said these were part of an “ongoing effort to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.”
