Iran’s Religious Minorities Condemn Threats Against Imam Khamenei as Attack on All Faiths

By Staff, Agencies

Leaders of Iran’s recognized religious minorities issued a unified statement on Saturday, strongly denouncing assassination threats made against the Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei.

The condemnation came in response to public threats by US President Donald Trump and “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which the faith leaders described as not only politically inflammatory but deeply offensive to the shared spiritual values of religious communities worldwide.

Signed by senior representatives of Iran’s Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Mandaean communities, the statement warned that threatening high-ranking religious figures is tantamount to violating the beliefs of millions of followers of divine religions. “Divine leaders and religious scholars are the living embodiment of the faithful. Any attack on them is considered an attack on the identity, emotions, and sacred values of hundreds of millions of people,” the signatories declared.

The clerics emphasized that such threats violate international law, including principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, particularly the protection of sovereign leaders from harm or intimidation. They also pointed out that, under international law, if such threats are judged to be imminent, Iran would have the legitimate right to respond preemptively in self-defense.

The statement underscored that this is not just a national or political issue, but a matter of global religious concern. The leaders warned that targeting spiritual and political figures of such stature could provoke broad, uncontrollable reactions both within Iran and internationally.

They called on the United Nations Security Council, global religious and interfaith organizations, and international legal institutions to take a public and decisive stance against such threats. “The silence of international bodies in the face of these violations only encourages further aggression and lawlessness,” they noted.

The threats against Imam Khamenei emerged in the wake of an unprovoked attack launched by the “Israeli” entity on Iranian territory. That aggression resulted in the assassination of senior Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.

In retaliation, Iran launched Operation Truthful Promise III, which targeted key “Israeli” military and intelligence facilities across the occupied Palestinian territories.

The joint statement by Iran’s religious minorities reflects a broader national unity in defense of the country's sovereignty and leadership, regardless of faith tradition.

Signatories:

• Bishop Narsay Benjamin – Bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East in Iran, Armenia and Georgia
• Varosh Avansian – Chairman of the Armenian Caliphate Council of Tehran and the North
• Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar – Leader of the Jewish Community of Iran
• Mobad Mehraban Poladi – Chairman of the Zoroastrian Association of Iran
• Ganzora Nejat Chahili – Religious Leader of the Sabean Mandaeans of Iran