The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) has received more than 200 complaints from US service members alleging that commanders have used extremist Christian rhetoric to justify involvement in the Iran war.
One complaint, filed by a noncommissioned officer on behalf of 15 troops, described a commander urging soldiers to tell their units that the conflict was 'all part of God's divine plan'. The commander reportedly cited the Book of Revelation, referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ, and said that 'President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran'.
Mikey Weinstein, the MRFF's president and an air force veteran, said service members often cannot speak out against such behaviour because their superiors are not like shift managers. He described the complaints as evidence of a clear violation of the separation of church and state and an increase in Christian extremism within the military.
The allegations come as US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny for his embrace of Christian nationalism. He has previously endorsed 'sphere sovereignty', a worldview linked to Christian reconstructionism, and reposted a CNN segment featuring pastor Doug Wilson, who said he does not believe women should hold leadership roles in the military.
The Pentagon did not directly respond to the complaints, instead sharing public clips of Hegseth discussing the operation in Iran.
