Watchdog alleges US troops told Iran war is 'part of God's divine plan'
Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war
US military commanders have allegedly used extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical "end times" to justify American involvement in the war on Iran, according to complaints filed with a watchdog group.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said it has received more than 200 complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces, including the Marines, Air Force and Space Force, reports The Guardian.
One complaint, submitted by a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in a unit that could be deployed "at any moment" to join operations against Iran, claimed their commander urged troops to frame the conflict as "all part of God's divine plan". The commander reportedly cited passages from the Book of Revelation referencing Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
According to the complaint, the commander also 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 NCO filed the complaint on behalf of 15 service members, including 11 Christians, one Muslim and one Jewish member. The MRFF first shared details of the complaint with independent journalist Jonathan Larsen.
MRFF president Mikey Weinstein, an Air Force veteran, told The Guardian that such rhetoric is not uncommon when US or Israeli military action takes place in the Middle East. He said service members often feel unable to challenge their superiors due to the military chain of command.
In a statement, Weinstein argued that the complaints suggest a rise in Christian extremism within parts of the military. He said some commanders appeared to view the conflict as a "biblically sanctioned" war tied to fundamentalist beliefs about the "End Times", raising concerns about violations of the separation of church and state.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has previously expressed support for Christian nationalist ideas. He has endorsed the doctrine of "sphere sovereignty", a worldview associated with Christian reconstructionism. The philosophy advocates strict patriarchal structures and has been linked to calls for capital punishment for homosexuality.
In August 2025, Hegseth reposted a CNN segment on X featuring pastor Doug Wilson, co-founder of the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. In the segment, Wilson argued that women should not hold military leadership roles or serve in high-profile combat positions, and said he would like to see the US become a Christian nation.
The Pentagon did not directly respond to requests for comment on the complaints, instead sharing public remarks by Hegseth regarding US operations in Iran.
