A U.S. military commander told a group of noncommissioned officers that President Donald Trump had been “anointed by Jesus” to start Armageddon in Iran. This was revealed in a complaint filed by service members and first reported by journalist Jonathan Larsen.
The allegation arose from a message sent to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit that claims to protect the religious rights of U.S. troops. A noncommissioned officer wrote the complaint, stating that the remarks were made during a combat readiness briefing related to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
According to the complaint, the commander began the briefing by telling officers not to fear the potential for combat. He also instructed them to share this message with the troops they command. The officer stated that the commander described the war as part of a religious prophecy and referenced passages from the Book of Revelation concerning Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ.
“He urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically mentioned several citations from the Book of Revelation about Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ,” the noncommissioned officer wrote in the complaint.
The complaint includes a more direct claim regarding the commander’s message.
“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,’” the officer wrote.
The complaint stated that these remarks were made during a briefing for officers from a unit that could be quickly deployed to support operations related to the Iran conflict. It also mentions that 15 service members from the unit asked the officer to report the comments. This group included troops from various religious backgrounds, including Christians and service members of other faiths.
The officer noted that several troops were shocked by the comments and felt they were inappropriate for an official military briefing. Because the remarks came from a senior officer, many felt they had little opportunity to speak up.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said it received the complaint along with many other messages from service members about religious language used in connection with the Iran conflict. The organization reported that it has heard from troops from different branches of the military in recent days.
Founded by former Air Force officer Mikey Weinstein, the group advocates for the separation of church and state within the armed forces and regularly assists service members who report religious pressure or favoritism within military units.
The report did not name the commander involved or specify the unit where the briefing occurred.
The complaint came to light as the United States continues military operations connected to the escalating conflict with Iran. U.S. forces have participated in a series of strikes and regional deployments in recent weeks as tensions with Tehran grew.
Service members who signed the complaint expressed that the briefing made them uncomfortable because it mixed religious prophecy with military orders given through the chain of command.
The noncommissioned officer wrote that the group submitted the complaint because they felt the remarks crossed a line in an official setting and put subordinates in a tough spot when the message came from a superior officer during a formal briefing.
The allegations have since spread widely online as the conflict with Iran remains a central topic in political and military discussions in Washington.
