US troops told Trump 'anointed by Jesus', Iran attack part of ‘God’s divine plan’

Soldiers from the US military were allegedly told that President Donald Trump was "anointed by Jesus" and that Washington's attack on Iran was "all part of God's divine plan" in a complaint to a US military watchdog on Tuesday.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) revealed it had received over 200 calls from over 50 military installations across all the services since Saturday, who have reported "similar disturbing pronouncements from their Christian zealot commanders".

During their morning briefing, the US troops' commander told them not to be "afraid" over the state's "biblically-sanctioned" war on Iran.

"He urged us to tell our troops that this was 'all part of God's divine plan'," an anonymous officer wrote on behalf of themselves and 15 other unit members, adding citations from the Book of Revelation, the final book in the Bible, which references Armageddon, the end of time.

"[The commander] said that 'President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth'."

The officer added the commander "had a big grin on his face" and is described as a "Christian First" supporter, saying he wishes for all his troops to be Christian, despite some members of the team being Muslim and Jewish.

The US, with Israel, sent a barrage of strikes on Iran on Saturday, after Trump spent weeks mulling over the idea and moving weaponry to the Middle East, amid indirect nuclear talks with Tehran.

When asked about the complaint, the Pentagon referred The New Arab to Secretary Hegseth’s remarks in a press conference on Monday on the reasoning for the attack, being Iran's reported build-up of a large arsenal of missiles and weaponry, as well as threats to US forces, allies and bases.

The headquarters for the US Department of Defence also said the goal of Operation Epic Fury was to destroy Iranian offensive missiles and missile production, its navy and security infrastructure, and to ensure Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.

In a statement on the MRFF site, Mikey Weinstein, the watchdog's founder and president said: "The Military Religious Freedom Foundation demands that all personnel in the Department of Defence (not "War") remember and fully internalise that the oaths they swear are not to the narcissistic, sociopathic, orange, POS tRump, nor to little Petey 'Kegseth' nor to Jesus Christ".

Weinstein adds that the troops' oath is "solely" to the US Constitution, which includes a "full separation of church and state mandate in the First Amendment".

"Any military members seeking to take advantage of their subordinates by advancing their blood-soaked, Christian nationalist wet dreams upon the flames of this latest non-Congressionally sanctioned attack against Iran, should be swiftly, aggressively and visibly prosecuted for numerous violations of the military criminal code known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice," the group said.

The president also noted that the organisation receives similar complaints about Christian eschatology, theology on the end of the world, "whenever this s**t blows up with Israel in the Middle East".

Religious overtones

Trump, a Christian himself, announced the attack, labelled "Operation Epic Fury" and Israel's "Operation Roaring Lion".

Following the outbreak of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, the MRFF received a complaint about an air force commander saying that: "The war between Israel and Hamas has all been foretold by the Book of Revelation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and noone can do anything about that".

Israel has used religious narratives in their recent assault on Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comparing Iranian leaders to a biblical antagonist, Amalek, described in the Hebrew Bible as an enemy of the Israelites. The Amalekites are also mentioned in a commandment in the Torah to erase their memory.

"We read in this week's Torah portion, 'Remember what Amalek did to you.' We remember, and we act," Netanyahu said while visiting a site targeted by an Iranian missile.

The same biblical lion imagery was used in the last 12-day war with Iran, named "Rising Lion", chosen by Netanyahu himself, as it stresses how his country is the lion that has now risen and is roaring in judgment against the Iranian government.

When announcing the offensive, Netanyahu explicitly quoted the prophet Amos from the Hebrew Bible: "A lion has roared. Who will not fear?"

Israel has often used biblical references in other offensives in the MENA region, as well as naming weapons and systems after biblical figures and places, such as the Jericho missile, David's Sling, and the Samson remote weapon station.

In Tehran, after being attacked, prominent Shia ayatollahs issued fatwas declaring "jihad" against the US and Israel after the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei, describing vengeance as a religious duty for Muslims and especially Shia supporters of the Islamic Republic.

Supporters have also adopted religious motifs, such as using an image of Imam Ali and his sword Zulfikar, among a volley of missiles raining down on the enemy.