In a chilling echo of jihadist threats, Iran’s top Shiite cleric has issued a religious decree that appears to sanction violence against President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a move critics say is a state-sanctioned call to global terrorism.

According to The New York Sun, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi released a fatwa on Sunday labeling any individual or government that threatens the global Islamic community, known as the Ummah, as a “mohareb” — an enemy of God. Under Iranian law, this designation carries potential penalties including execution, crucifixion, amputation, or exile.

“Those who threaten the leadership and integrity of the Islamic Ummah are to be considered warlords,” Makarem declared. He concluded the fatwa with a prayer for divine protection from “these enemies” and the swift arrival of the Mahdi — a messianic figure in Shiite theology.

British-Iranian analyst Niyak Ghorbani sounded the alarm in response, calling the edict a veiled declaration of international jihad.

“The West must realise: the Islamic Republic is not only targeting its own people — it is preparing for global violence in the name of religion,” Ghorbani warned in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

This fatwa comes just days after the dramatic conclusion of what’s now being called the “12-Day War,” a brief but brutal confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the United States.

On June 13, Israeli forces struck Iranian military and nuclear sites, reportedly killing high-ranking scientists and Revolutionary Guard officers. Iran retaliated with a barrage of ballistic missiles aimed at Israeli population centers. The United States, honoring its longstanding security alliance with Israel, entered the conflict days later, striking three of Iran’s major nuclear installations.

President Donald Trump, speaking at a NATO summit in The Hague last week, declared the Fordow nuclear facility “totally obliterated” following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.

“They have guys who go in after the strike, and they said it was total obliteration,” Trump told reporters and foreign dignitaries, emphasizing that Iran had “no time” to relocate nuclear material.

He also warned Iran not to resume uranium enrichment, reminding the world of his earlier red line: weapons-grade enrichment would provoke an immediate U.S. response.

The president didn’t mince words in comparing the Fordow and Natanz strikes to the World War II atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. According to Trump, both moments brought conflict to a dramatic and decisive halt.

Trump also dismissed claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency that 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium were unaccounted for, calling the report “irrelevant propaganda.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Wednesday that Iran’s nuclear program had been “severely degraded,” stating it would take Tehran “years” to rebuild. “Several key nuclear facilities were destroyed,” he said, citing high-level intelligence sources.

Amid this backdrop, Trump revealed that U.S. and Iranian officials may meet in the coming week to discuss Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The president was characteristically blunt about the stakes: “We may sign an agreement, or we may not,” he said. “I don’t care if I have an agreement or not.”

While the White House had earlier announced a permanent ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Trump appeared more cautious in his most recent remarks.

“They’re both tired… but could it start again? Maybe. Maybe soon,” he admitted.

A leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report suggested the strikes may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions “by months,” though the assessment itself was labeled “low confidence.” The mainstream media — including CNN and The New York Times — omitted that critical qualifier in their reporting.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed this week that the FBI and Pentagon are investigating the leak, and criminal charges are expected.