Watchdog claims US soldiers were told the war on Iran is part of God's divine plan.

U.S. armed forces leaders have been using radical Christian language about biblical “end times” to rationalize participation in the Iran conflict to service members, according to complaints filed with a watchdog organization.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) reports it has logged over 200 grievances from personnel in every branch of the military, including the Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force.

One complainant, a non‑commissioned officer (NCO) in a unit that could be dispatched “at any moment” for operations against Iran, told MRFF in a filing reviewed by CuriosityNews that his commander had “urged us to tell our troops that this was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’ and he cited numerous passages from Revelation describing Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”

“He claimed that ‘President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to trigger Armageddon and signal his return to Earth,’” the NCO wrote.

The NCO submitted the complaint on behalf of 15 service members, 11 of whom identify as Christian, one Muslim and one Jewish. The grievance was initially passed by MRFF to independent reporter Jonathan Larsen.

“Whenever Israel or the United States becomes involved in the Middle East, we hear this rhetoric from Christian nationalists who have seized control of our government and, indeed, our military,” said Mikey Weinstein, MRFF president and former Air Force member, to CuriosityNews.

“He added that service members find it difficult to speak out because a commanding officer is not comparable to a casual supervisor in a coffee shop,” he said.

In a statement, Weinstein argued the accounts point to a rise in Christian extremism within the ranks, noting the complainants “describe the unchecked zeal of their leaders” who view the conflict as a “biblically‑sanctioned” war that they interpret as a clear sign of the swift arrival of the fundamentalist Christian “End Times.”

He said the allegations demonstrate a breach of the constitutional separation of church and state.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, known for his support of Christian nationalism, has previously endorsed the doctrine of “sphere sovereignty,” a perspective rooted in the radical tenets of Christian reconstructionism (CR). That ideology advocates capital punishment for homosexuality and enforces strictly patriarchal family and church structures.

In August 2025, Hegseth shared a news segment on the platform X featuring pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist who co‑founded the Idaho‑based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). In the interview, Wilson stated he opposes women holding leadership roles in the military or occupying high‑profile combat positions.

“I would like to see this nation become a Christian nation, and I would like the world to become a Christian world,” Wilson said.