Why are the US and Israel framing the ongoing conflict as a religious war?
Why it matters: Religious framing of this conflict risks dangerous escalation and fuels anti-Muslim sentiment globally.
- US and Israeli officials are pushing rhetoric framing the conflict with Iran as a religious war, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling Iranian leaders 'religious fanatic lunatics' and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comparing Iran to the biblical Amalekites.
- US watchdog Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) reports receiving complaints from service members that they were told the war is intended to 'cause Armageddon' and is 'part of God’s divine plan,' with one commander allegedly linking it to Trump's anointment.
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned this rhetoric as 'dangerous' and 'anti-Muslim,' specifically citing US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's reference to 'prophetic Islamic delusions' as an apparent jab at Shia beliefs.
- Former US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested Israel taking 'essentially the entire Middle East' would be 'fine' due to biblical promises, though he added Israel wasn't seeking to do so.
US and Israeli officials are increasingly framing the ongoing conflict with Iran as a religious war, drawing sharp condemnation from civil rights groups and raising concerns about escalating rhetoric. While US troops reportedly hear the war is to induce biblical end times, top officials publicly label Iranian leaders as 'religious fanatic lunatics' and compare Iran to ancient biblical enemies.
