A disturbing report has emerged alleging that a US combat-unit commander informed troops that former President Donald Trump was "anointed by Jesus" to launch attacks on Iran and "cause Armageddon." This revelation follows Trump's announcement on Saturday of a joint US-Israel operation that struck Iran, resulting in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Background of the Military Operation
The attack was initiated after Iranian nuclear negotiations and weeks of civil unrest within Iran. Trump declared that "heavy and pinpoint bombing" would continue "uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!" This operation occurs less than a year after Trump ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, during which he claimed to have obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities. Trump recently told The New York Times that he ordered US troops to continue attacking Iran for "four to five weeks," though he provided no specific details of his strategic plan.
Allegations of Religious Justification
According to independent journalist Jonathan Larsen's report on Substack, hundreds of US troops across dozens of units and installations have submitted complaints to the non-profit watchdog Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) since the attack. These complaints center on combat unit commanders providing Christian reasoning for the war. Non-commissioned officers who attended a briefing on Monday informed the MRFF that a combat-unit commander "urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ."
Commander's Reported Statements
The commander allegedly argued that Trump was "anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth" and that the Iran war is part of God's plan. These remarks were documented in more than 110 complaints about commanders across all military branches, involving over 40 units across 30 military installations, as reported by the MRFF to Larsen.
Impact on Military Personnel
At least one complainant, a non-commissioned officer who identified as a Christian and could be deployed to Iran at any time, wrote on behalf of 15 troops. This group included 11 Christians, one Muslim, and one Jew. In an email sent on Monday, the NCO warned that their commander’s remarks would "destroy morale and unit cohesion and are in violation of the oaths we swore to support the Constitution."
Response from Military Watchdog
MRFF President Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force veteran, told Larsen that his office has been "inundated" with such complaints. He explained, "These calls have one damn thing in freaking common; our MRFF clients [service members who seek MRFF aid] report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders and command chains as to how this new 'biblically-sanctioned' war is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian 'End Times' as vividly described in the New Testament Book of Revelation." Weinstein added, "Many of their commanders are especially delighted with how graphic this battle will be zeroing in on how bloody all of this must become in order to fulfill and be in 100% accordance with fundamentalist Christian end of the world eschatology."
Broader Implications
This incident raises serious concerns about the separation of church and state within the US military, as well as the potential for religious rhetoric to influence military operations and morale. The allegations highlight a growing tension between constitutional obligations and personal beliefs among service members, particularly in the context of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
