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In the midst of the U.S.–Iran conflict, a growing number of U.S. service members say military superiors are framing the campaign against Iran not in strategic or political terms, but in starkly religious ones. According to multiple reports and complaints collected this week, some commanders have told troops that the bombing of Iran is "part of God's divine plan" and tied to biblical prophecy about the end of the world.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), an advocacy group dedicated to maintaining the separation of church and state in the armed forces, says it has received dozens of reports from active-duty members alleging that commanders across services are linking the conflict with end-times theology.

An MRFF active duty NCO client, writing on behalf of themselves and 15 other unit members, wrote in a statement that, "This morning our commander opened up the combat readiness status briefing by urging us to not be 'afraid' as to what is happening with our combat operations in Iran right now. 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. 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 reports come as U.S. military operations against Iranian forces and infrastructure intensify, with strikes in and around Tehran and counterattacks by Iran in the region. While the Pentagon has not publicly confirmed the religious rhetoric described in these complaints, the volume of reports has alarmed rights observers and legal experts who stress that such messaging could violate the constitutional principle prohibiting religious coercion in the military.

Independent journalist Jonathan Larsen, reporting on the MRFF's findings, noted that complaints have come from more than 40 units at at least 30 different military installations. The spectrum of concerned personnel includes Christians, as well as service members of other faiths who feel the messaging oversteps professional and constitutional norms.

The MRFF, founded in 2005 to defend service members' religious freedom and enforce church-state separation, documented the complaints as reaching a level not seen since past conflicts, where officers used scripture to contextualize military action.

As of now, the Pentagon has not publicly addressed the specific allegations about religious messaging within briefings or orders. Defense Department officials have emphasized that U.S. military personnel serve under a secular command structure and that respect for religious freedom and diversity is a core principle of service.

Originally published on IBTimes