Iran’s Assembly of Experts has issued a religious decree calling for the deaths of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking an escalation in rhetoric from Tehran’s highest-ranking clerics.

The 88-member Assembly of Experts, a body constitutionally responsible for selecting and overseeing Iran’s supreme leader, released a 10-point statement declaring the two leaders “deserving of death” under Islamic law. The statement framed killing “the wicked prime minister of the Zionist regime” and “the criminal American president” as a religious obligation that must be executed “under any circumstances.”

The Declaration

The Assembly of Experts characterized the assassinations as essential acts of vengeance related to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iranian state media amplified the message, with the newspaper Hamshahri publishing Trump’s image on its front page positioned in a rifle scope’s crosshairs under the headline “Revenge is certain.”

The pronouncements reflect tension between Iran’s civil government, which continues discussing potential peace agreements, and hardline factions within the country’s power structure. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has simultaneously continued strikes on shipping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and conducted military operations against neighboring states.

Strategic Implications

Security analysts note that threats emanating from state actors differ significantly from previous incidents. Iran possesses trained military personnel and substantial resources that distinguish such threats from amateur attempts.

U.S. officials have flagged concerns about Iranian nationals present in the country, with estimates suggesting between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals entered illegally during recent years. Security agencies have responsibility for assessing the credibility and immediacy of threats directed at senior government officials and allied leaders.