Ayatollah Araki: Threatening the Supreme Leader Is a War Against Islam and the Muslim Ummah
Threatening the Supreme Leader is not a threat against a person, a group, or merely a country; it is a threat against the Islamic Ummah and all nations
Iran, PUREWILAYAH.COM — Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, a senior Iranian cleric and member of the Assembly of Experts, has strongly condemned threats made by the United States and Israel against Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. In a statement to Tasnim News, he described these threats as an attack not only on one individual or nation, but on the entirety of the Islamic world and faith itself.
“Threatening the Supreme Leader is not a threat against a person, a group, or merely a country; it is a threat against the Islamic Ummah and all nations,” Ayatollah said.
“Because threatening the Leader means threatening the entire tent whose pole is the Leader. Therefore, threatening the Supreme Leader is a threat to the whole Islamic Ummah and even a threat to the religion of Islam itself and its existence on earth.”
Clerical Support for Fatwas, and Broadening Definition of Conflict
Ayatollah Araki backed the recent fatwas by senior Islamic jurists declaring those who threaten the Leader as aggressors (muharib), whose actions merit religious and legal condemnation. He said the threats must be taken seriously and responded to decisively.
“Simply threatening the Supreme Leader proves the ruling of muharib applies to Trump, Netanyahu, and America,” he stated.
“Countering this threat is an absolute obligation; we are not required to wait for it to be acted upon. Once the enemy has mobilized its army, prepared itself, and launched attacks before, that means the threat is real and must be met with a regret-inducing response.”
Ayatollah Araki further noted that the recent conflict between Israel and Iran was designed and executed by the United States and that the American administration now fits the religious definition of a hostile power (kafir harbi), according to Islamic law. He added that governments such as the UK, France, and Germany, who openly support US and Israeli positions, must reconsider their stance.
Call for Global Muslim Responsibility
Highlighting the broader duty of Muslims in light of these developments, Ayatollah Araki said:
“Anyone who can inflict damage on Americans and Zionists, wherever they are in the world, is defending the essence of Islam, and this is their direct and obligatory duty. According to the Qur'an, Paradise becomes obligatory for them.”
He clarified that this response is not limited to official armies or governments, but that the duty of defense falls on all Muslims who are able:
“This imposed war that Trump, Netanyahu, and their partners have launched against Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet of God is not a war against us—it is a war against the Messenger of God, the Qur'an, Islam, and God Himself.”
“If they attack us, it is because we walk in the path of Islam and support the religion of God. Their enmity is not personal, but rooted in their opposition to the principles we uphold.”
Fatwa by Ayatollah Sistani Echoed
When asked about the recent statement by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Araki confirmed that Sistani had issued a clear and stern warning to the United States:
“What Ayatollah Sistani has stated is the ruling of Islam. It is not my ruling or that of any individual. It is the ruling of Islam.”
He concluded by warning that millions of people across West Asia and the world stand ready to act upon such Islamic rulings, and that the recent fatwas are a serious message to both the United States and Israel:
“They must know that by threatening the Supreme Leader, they have declared war against nearly one billion Muslims.”
The Seriousness of The Fatwas
In concluding his remarks, Ayatollah Araki highlighted the seriousness with which the recent fatwas have been received across the Islamic world. He noted that these rulings are not symbolic or rhetorical, but represent actionable directives grounded in Islamic jurisprudence.
According to him, the depth of religious conviction and global Muslim solidarity makes the situation far more consequential than a political disagreement.
“Millions of people across West Asia and around the world are ready to act upon this Islamic ruling,” he said, describing it as a clear warning to the United States and all those who support it.
He emphasized that the fatwas issued by prominent Islamic authorities and jurists have been directed at hundreds of millions of Muslims worldwide, and should be understood as a firm and unequivocal message to both the United States and the Zionist regime: their interests are now in serious jeopardy.
“They must understand that by threatening the Supreme Leader, they have effectively declared war on nearly one billion Muslims,” Araki warned. (PW)