Najaf seminary students warn Trump against threatening Sayyed Khamenei
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Students of the Najaf seminary condemn threats against Iran's Leader Sayyed Khamenei after Trump suggested he was an “easy target,” warning that any harm to the marja‘iyya crosses a red line.
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Muslims break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan in the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, on March 15, 2025. (AP)
Students of the religious seminaries in Najaf al-Ashraf denounced the dangerous escalation by the United States and "Israel" targeting Sayyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The statement came in direct response to a post by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account, in which he suggested that Sayyed Khamenei was a potential target for assassination. “
We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote.
“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” he added.
Religious students from Najaf, Qom, and other major seminaries across the Islamic world condemned the remarks as “obscene political insolence,” asserting that Sayyed Khamenei is not just a political leader, but a senior religious authority and unifying symbol for millions of Muslims.
“Any harm to the status of the religious authority is a red line,” their statement read. “Our message to the Trump administration is that the position of the marja‘iyya is sacred, and any hand that extends toward it will be met with a hand that severs it.”
The marja‘iyya refers to the highest religious authority in Shia Islam, embodied by senior clerics known as maraji‘. These figures serve as spiritual and legal guides for millions of Muslims, issuing religious rulings (fatwas).
The statement further urged Islamic governments, religious institutions, and international human rights organizations to take immediate action and publicly denounce what they described as “cowardly threats” targeting one of the highest-ranking religious figures in the Muslim world.
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