US military commanders have been accused of claiming that Donald Trump's war in Iran is justified as he has been 'anointed by Jesus'.
On Saturday (28 February), the US and Israel launched a joint military attack across multiple cities in Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and plunging the wider Middle East into chaos.
And now, in what is the most bizarre update in the joint US-Israeli military operation yet, US troops have alleged they are being told by their commanders that the president is acting under some sort of divine providence.
According to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), over 110 complaints have been made by service members across 40 separate military units to report 'Christian zealot' commanders since Saturday.
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One shocking account, which has been shared on journalist Jonathan Larsen's Substack, revealed that one combat-unit commander told non-commissioned officers (NCOs) that military strikes across Iran were part of 'God's plan'.
"He urged us to tell our troops that this was 'all part of God’s divine plan' and he specifically referenced numerous citations out of the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ," the service member claimed.
The complainant then went on to allege that a commander had said President Trump had been 'anointed by Jesus', adding: "He 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'.
"He had a big grin on his face when he said all of this, which made his message seem even more crazy," the complaint continued (per Middle East Eye).
"Our commander would probably be described as a ‘Christian First’ supporter. He has been this way for a very long time and makes it clear that he desires all of us under him to become just like him as a Christian."
The anonymous complaint was submitted on behalf of 15 service members, which included 11 Christians, a Muslim and a Jew, and came from troops who are on 'ready-support' status, which means they could be deployed to the Middle East at any time.
According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), forcing religious beliefs on other service members is prohibited in the US military.
MRFF President and Founder Mikey Weinstein added that complaints similar to the above aren't singular and that the foundation has been 'inundated' with similar complaints.
A White House official has since denied that commanders were using religious scripture when giving speeches to troops, according to MailOnline, and reiterated Trump's main aims of the Iran operation, which is to destroy the country's missiles, navy and munitions industry.
LADbible Group has approached the Pentagon and the White House for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, World News, Iran
Brenna Cooper