The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said on March 3 that attempts were being made to portray the US military operation against Iran as a “crusade” and a “holy war.” The statement followed a letter from a sergeant in one of the units involved in the fighting, published by journalist Jonathan Larsen. According to the sergeant, commanders and chaplains used biblical imagery in speeches to troops, describing the conflict as the start of Armageddon and linking Iran’s leadership to the figure of the Antichrist.
The sergeant said similar remarks were delivered at at least 30 military sites across different branches between February 28 and March 2. He said one commander told troops that
“President Trump is anointed by Jesus,” and that events in Iran would herald Christ’s return.
MRFF says it received more than 110 complaints from service members in the first days of the war. The complainants said they reject such rhetoric and fear retaliation. One complaint argued that imposing religious motives undermines morale and unit cohesion and conflicts with the oath to defend the US Constitution.
At the same time, Donald Trump’s administration has accused Iran’s leadership of its own apocalyptic religious worldview. On March 2, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran was ruled by radical clerics making decisions based on their theology. The article also notes that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has held prayer meetings and “evangelical hours” at the Pentagon, while Israel gave its operation launched on February 28 the biblical name “A People Like a Lion.”
The article links these episodes to the influence of Christian Zionism and religious nationalism in US politics, citing statements by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, preacher John Hagee, and White House Faith Office head Paula White-Cain.