Latest news with #ShiaIslamic
India.com
09-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Trump's life in danger? Iran official issues shocking threat, says drone can hit US president in...
Big trouble for Donald Trump Donald Trump's life under danger: In a chilling warning that has taken the world by storm, a senior Iranian official Javad Larijani, a close advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has threatened former US President Donald Trump on Television. The threat comes amid escalating US–Iran tensions over Trump's role in the 2020 killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani and recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Is Donald Trump's life under danger? 'Trump has done something that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago. As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It's very simple', Larijani said on Iranian state television, as per a report by London-based Iran International. 'Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib,' Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a top figure in Shia Islamic jurisprudence wrote, according to the Tehran Times. Why are these warnings being taken seriously? The warnings are being taken seriously across the world as the US Department of Justice revealed that Iranian agent Farhad Shakeri was charged with plotting to assassinate then President-elect Donald Trump. According to DOJ filings, Shakeri was acting on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Trump and Netanyahu meet in Washington amid Gaza ceasefire talks US President Donald Trump and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met here on Tuesday for the second time in as many days to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza. The meeting comes after Trump's Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff said Israel and Hamas could be close to agreeing on a 60-day ceasefire deal. As per a report carried by BBC, Netanyahu arrived at the White House for the meeting, which was not open to members of the press. Earlier, Netanyahu met US Vice President J.D. Vance. The ongoing Gaza war began on October 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 57,500 in Gaza according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. (With inputs from agencies)
Mint
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Donald Trump could be hit with drone in navel at Mar-a-Lago, Iran official issues chilling warning
In a chilling televised address, senior Iranian official Javad Larijani warned that US President Donald Trump could be assassinated while relaxing at his Florida estate. 'Trump has done something that he can no longer sunbathe in Mar-a-Lago,' Larijani said on Iranian state television, according to a report by London-based Iran International. 'As he lies there with his stomach to the sun, a small drone might hit him in the navel. It's very simple.' Larijani, a close advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, underscoring the high-level nature of the threat. Ongoing tensions The assassination threats mark a new phase in the long-simmering US-Iran conflict, fueled by the 2020 killing of Qassem Soleimani. Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a top figure in Shia Islamic jurisprudence, issued a statement previously that has been widely interpreted as a fatwa—a religious edict—against Trump. 'Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib,' he wrote, according to the Tehran Times. Under Shia Islamic law, a Muharib is someone who spreads terror or disorder—punishable by death. The declaration came in direct response to Trump's verbal attacks on Ayatollah Khamenei, following a deadly 12-day conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States earlier this year. During a speech in June, Trump made the stunning claim that during the conflict, he had the opportunity to assassinate Supreme Leader Khamenei—but chose not to. 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death,' Trump said, adding, 'I knew exactly where he was hiding. I told the Israelis to stand down.' Trump has repeatedly taken credit for authorising strikes that allegedly 'obliterated' Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz—though intelligence assessments suggest these attacks caused only temporary disruptions. On April 5, 2025, Kayhan, a newspaper closely aligned with Iran's Supreme Leader, published a column openly advocating for Trump's assassination. 'He's way out of line! Any day now, in revenge for the blood of Martyr Soleimani, a few bullets are going to be fired into that empty skull of his and he'll be drinking from the chalice of a cursed death,' the editorial read, according to a Fox News translation. The threat followed Trump's warning to Iran that 'if they don't make a deal, there will be bombing,' and his proposal to reintroduce secondary tariffs. In November 2024, the US Department of Justice revealed that Iranian agent Farhad Shakeri was charged with plotting to assassinate then President-elect Donald Trump. According to DOJ filings, Shakeri was acting on behalf of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Two alleged co-conspirators, Eric Loadholt and James Rivera, were also arrested. The trio allegedly worked on US soil to locate and target Iranian dissidents and high-profile Americans. The DOJ disclosed that on October 7, 2024, Shakeri received direct orders from the IRGC to 'devise a plan targeting President-elect Donald Trump.' He later claimed to federal agents that he had no intention of completing the plan within the IRGC's timeline. The US Secret Service has already thwarted two assassination attempts on Trump in less than a year: On July 14, 2024, Trump was shot at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, suffering a minor injury to his ear. The assailant was killed by Secret Service agents after firing multiple rounds. On September 16, 2024, Trump was the target again, this time while playing golf in Florida. Agents noticed a gunman with an AK-47-style rifle and opened fire. The suspect escaped briefly but was later apprehended. According to Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, the man showed 'no emotion' when stopped by officers.
Mint
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Fatwa against Donald Trump? Shia cleric's ‘red line' on US president for ‘threatening' Iran's Supreme leader Khamenei
An Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a senior Marja in the Shia hierarchy, has declared that anyone who harms Ayatollah Khamenei deserves the death penalty. His statement came in response to a question regarding US President Donald Trump's increasingly aggressive rhetoric towards Iran's Supreme Leader, following the recent 12-day conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. According to Tehran Times, in a written note, Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi has declared, 'Any regime or individual threatening the leaders of the Islamic Ummah and acting on those threats qualifies as a Muharib.' Under Shia Islamic jurisprudence, a 'Muharib' is defined as someone who wages armed rebellion, terrorism, violent crimes, or other unlawful acts that spread fear and disorder in society. The prescribed punishment for such offenses is death. Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi's remarks are being interpreted as a "Fatwa," a religious edict, the Tehran Times report added. Iran's Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani and Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani have published similar statements seen as Fatwas. 1. Accusation of Defeat and Denial of Iran's Victory Claims Donald Trump publicly challenged Khamenei's claim that Iran had emerged victorious over Israel and the US, calling it a 'lie' and bluntly stating, 'You got beat to hell.' He accused Khamenei of spreading falsehoods about the war's outcome, insisting that Iran's military and nuclear capabilities were severely damaged by U.S. strikes. Trump repeatedly asserted that US forces had 'obliterated' three key Iranian nuclear facilities (Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz) during the conflict. He insisted these strikes dealt a devastating blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions, despite some intelligence reports suggesting only a temporary setback. In a striking admission, Donald Trump revealed that he knew exactly where Khamenei was sheltering during the conflict and deliberately prevented Israeli and US forces from killing him, stating, 'I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death.' Trump lamented that Khamenei did not 'thank' him for sparing his life. Donald Trump warned that the US would 'definitely' strike Iran again if Tehran resumed uranium enrichment or nuclear activities that posed a threat. He did not rule out future military action against Iran's nuclear sites if necessary. Trump disclosed that he was working on removing sanctions against Iran to aid its recovery but immediately dropped all efforts after Khamenei's 'statement of anger, hatred, and disgust.' He criticised Khamenei's tone and called it 'blatant and foolish,' blaming it for the collapse of potential diplomatic progress. Trump warned Iran that unless it 'gets back into the world order flow,' conditions would worsen for the country, describing it as 'a burned out, blown up country, with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy and death all around them.' He urged the Iranian leadership to adopt a more conciliatory approach, saying, 'you often get more with honey than you do with vinegar.' Trump revealed that he ordered Israeli planes to turn back from a planned 'biggest attack of the war,' which he said would have caused significant Iranian casualties. He claimed to have restrained Israel from delivering a 'final knockout' blow to Iran. A Fatwa is an interpretation of Islamic law issued by a Marja. It is binding for all Muslims, meaning that even if Islamic governments are not able to act on it, individual Muslims should ensure its enforcement. A well-known example of states failing to act on a Fatwa, prompting individual Muslims to take matters into their own hands, is the case of Salman Rushdie. On February 14, 1989, Imam Khameini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, issued a historic Fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian author of The Satanic Verses, a novel filled with blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The fatwa stated: "I inform the proud Muslim people of the world that the author of The Satanic Verses book, which is against Islam, the Prophet, and the Quran, and all those involved in its publication who were aware of its content, are sentenced to death. I call on all zealous Muslims to execute them quickly, wherever they find them." Rushdie was forced into hiding immediately after the fatwa was issued. He was placed under 24/7 British police protection and lived in safe houses for nearly a decade. In 1989, a bomb exploded at a London hotel where Rushdie was scheduled to speak. Over three decades after the Fatwa was issued, when Rushdie emerged from hiding and began living more openly, the threat had not faded, contrary to his and the police's expectations. In 2022, Rushdie was stabbed on stage in New York by an attacker allegedly acting on the Fatwa. He has since retreated back into seclusion.
News18
20-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
From UP's Barabanki To Tehran: The Indian Roots Of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei
Last Updated: What is lesser known -- even in Iran -- is that both Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, share ancestral ties with India Long before Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed Iran's political stage, his roots could be traced back all the way to a small village in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. Born around 1790 in Kintoor's Siroli Gauspur tehsil, Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi — Khomeini's grandfather — sowed the seeds of a legacy that would one day reverberate across continents. As global attention fixes on the Iran-Israel conflict, this unexpected tale of a scholar born in Uttar Pradesh has resurfaced. 'They never returned, but their legacy did not leave this soil," said an elderly man in Kintoor, the unassuming village that once birthed a family destined to shape Iran's history. What is lesser known — even in Iran — is that both Khomeini and his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, share ancestral ties with India. Their lineage leads directly to Kintoor, a village in north India's Gangetic plains, steeped in Shia Islamic learning. As geopolitical tensions escalate in West Asia, this forgotten bond between Iran's revolutionary elite and rural Barabanki is drawing fresh attention. A LOST CHAPTER OF HISTORY Syed Ahmad Musavi was born into a prominent family of Shia scholars in Kintoor. In 1830, at the age of 40, he embarked on a religious pilgrimage alongside the Nawab of Awadh. Their journey took them through the revered Islamic cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq and, ultimately, to Khomein in Iran, where Musavi chose to settle permanently. Even after resettling, he remained fiercely proud of his Indian roots. In Iran, he appended 'Hindi" to his name — a nod to his homeland. 'He added 'Hindi' to his name to keep Hindustan alive in his identity," said Syed Adil Kazmi, a descendant of the Musavi family still living in Kintoor. 'He was proud of being from India, and even his poetry reflected that sentiment." Musavi was not just a religious scholar but also a man of letters. 'He was deeply influenced by both Indian and Persian literary traditions," said Shabbir Ali, a retired madrasa teacher who has preserved oral histories of the family. 'Even in Iran, he made sure his children knew of their Indian past." Local residents still point to the remnants of 'Syed Wada', the Musavi family's ancestral residence in Kintoor. The once expansive structure has withered over time, but people still regard it as a sacred marker. 'It's hard to pinpoint the exact location now, but this is where it all began," said Adil, who claimed to be the eighth generation of Syed Ahmad Musavi Hindi. Syed Wada, the house, though decayed bears witness to a transcontinental journey that helped forge the Islamic Republic of Iran. 'Visitors from Lucknow and even farther come here just to see this place," said Sajjad Rizvi, another local resident. 'They're amazed that such a towering global figure traces his roots to our village." A POLITICAL AND EMOTIONAL BOND For many in Kintoor, the link to Iran isn't just a matter of history — it's an emotional and even political connection. With tensions running high in the Middle East, many villagers openly express solidarity with Iran. 'We are Indians, but our sentiments are with Iran. That's the land where our bloodline now walks. The West and Israel are shedding innocent blood. We stand against injustice," said Imran Naqvi, a local youth. THE MAKING OF A SUPREME LEADER The legacy of Syed Ahmad Musavi lived on in his grandson, Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini, born in 1902 in the Iranian city of Khomein. Orphaned early in life, he was raised by his mother and elder brother and grew into a scholar of Islamic law, mysticism, and philosophy. He read widely, including the works of western thinkers — an intellectual breadth that would later shape his revolutionary worldview. In 1979, Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution that deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ending Iran's monarchy and establishing a theocratic republic. He became its first Supreme Leader, wielding unmatched political and religious authority. Despite holding the highest office, Khomeini led a life of simplicity. His modest, single-storey house in Tehran remains a symbol of his personal austerity. Even when the house was gifted to him, Khomeini insisted on paying 1,000 riyals — an emblematic gesture of principled leadership. 'Supporters offered to decorate it, but he refused public money," read an entry in Iranian archives. KHAMEINI CARRIES THE TORCH After Khomeini's death in 1989, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took over as Supreme Leader. Today, he guides Iran through another major crisis as it exchanges missile fire with Israel. In recent addresses, Khamenei has vowed not to yield to western or Israeli pressure, continuing the ideological line drawn by his predecessor. Iran's nuclear programme has again become a focal point of global anxiety, with uranium enrichment reportedly reaching 60 per cent — dangerously close to weapons-grade levels. While Israel sees this as an existential threat, Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful. FORGOTTEN NO MORE Back in Kintoor, Syed Ahmad Musavi's legacy is no longer confined to fading memories and old courtyards. Despite struggling with rural challenges like patchy electricity and poor infrastructure, the village now holds a unique place in world history — as the ancestral home of Iran's two most powerful spiritual and political leaders. 'This story must be documented more seriously," said Dr Shoaib Akhtar, a historian at Lucknow University. 'Not just as a cultural curiosity, but as a powerful reminder of how histories and destinies can intertwine across borders." As the world watches Iran's next move on the geopolitical chessboard, few may realise that part of its spiritual compass was once set among neem trees and ancient mosques in Barabanki. And here, in the soil of Kintoor, still echoes the name of a man who proudly signed off as 'Ahmad Musavi Hindi'. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Location : Lucknow, India, India First Published: June 20, 2025, 07:00 IST News india From UP's Barabanki To Tehran: The Indian Roots Of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei
