US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges
Is there any post such as Secretary of War in US now? If so who holds the position now?
Yes, as of 2026, the position of Secretary of War has been re-established.
Who holds the position: Pete Hegseth is the current Secretary of War.
Background: Hegseth was originally sworn in as the 29th U.S. Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025. Following a decision by President Donald Trump to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War, the change took effect on September 5, 2025, with Hegseth transitioning to the title of Secretary of War.
U.S. Department of War (.gov)
U.S. Department of War (.gov)
Key Details
Department: U.S. Department of War (formerly Department of Defense).
Role: The Secretary of War is a Cabinet-level position overseeing the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and other military services.
Deputy: Steve Feinberg serves as the Deputy Secretary of War.
U.S. Department of War (.gov)
U.S. Department of War (.gov)
The official website for the department is war.gov.
U.S. Department of War (.gov)
U.S. Department of War (.gov)
Did any Army chief of US said the war against Iran is crusade?
Based on reports from early 2026, within the context of a heavily escalated US-Iran conflict, some US officials and military commanders have been reported to use religious rhetoric framing the war as a "crusade" or a "divine plan".
The Guardian
The Guardian
Key details reported around March-April 2026 regarding this rhetoric include:
Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War): Reports indicate that US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who has a "Jerusalem Cross" (a symbol associated with the Crusades) tattooed on his chest, has invoked religious imagery, referred to Iran as "religious fanatics," and called for "overwhelming violence of action" in the name of Jesus Christ.
Military Commanders: The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) reported receiving hundreds of complaints from service members alleging that military commanders have told them the war on Iran is "all part of God's divine plan," a holy war designed to bring about Armageddon, or to usher in the return of Jesus Christ.
Context: This rhetoric has been documented by multiple media outlets and religious freedom watchdogs, with reports suggesting that some soldiers felt they could not push back against this rhetoric without it being considered insubordination.
The Guardian
The Guardian
While former President George W. Bush used the term "crusade" to describe the war on terror in 2001, the specific 2026 reporting focuses on the evangelical, "Christian nationalist" framing of the Iranian conflict by the team surrounding President Donald Trump at that time.
Based on reports from early 2026, within the context of a heavily escalated US-Iran conflict, some US officials and military commanders have been reported to use religious rhetoric framing the war as a "crusade" or a "divine plan". The Guardian The Guardian Key details reported around March-April 2026 regarding this rhetoric include: Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War): Reports indicate that US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth,
Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War) - "crusade" or a "divine plan". - The Guardian -
According to reporting from The Guardian, former US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has faced scrutiny for incorporating Christian nationalist rhetoric into military strategy, framing conflicts as a "divine plan" or a religious "crusade". Critics have pointed to his use of "Deus Vult" imagery and actions that allegedly imbue military violence with religious righteousness, signaling a shift toward a "biblically sanctioned" approach.
US troops were told war on Iran was ‘all part of God’s divine plan’, watchdog alleges
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Religious freedom group says 200 troops sent complaints of superiors using extremist Christian rhetoric to justify war
Middle East crisis – live updates
Sara Braun
Tue 3 Mar 2026 21.21 GMT
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US military commanders have been invoking extremist Christian rhetoric about biblical “end times” to justify involvement in the Iran war to troops, according to complaints made to a watchdog group.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) says it has received more than 200 complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces, including the marines, air force and space force.
One complainant, identified as a noncommissioned officer (NCO) in a unit that could be deployed “at any moment to join” operations against Iran, told MRFF in a complaint viewed by the Guardian that their commander had “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 NCO added.
The NCO’s complaint was filed on behalf of 15 troops, including 11 Christians, one Muslim person and one Jewish person. The complaint was first shared by MRFF with Jonathan Larsen, an independent journalist.
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“Anytime Israel or the US is involved in the Middle East, we get this stuff about Christian nationalists who’ve taken over our government, and certainly our US military,” Mikey Weinstein, MRFF’s president, who is an air force veteran, told the Guardian.
“Military members are not really able to stand up for themselves, because your military superior is not your shift manager at Starbucks,” he added.
In a statement, Weinstein suggested the reports indicate an increase in Christian extremism in the military, noting that the complainants “report the unrestricted euphoria of their commanders” who perceive a “‘biblically-sanctioned’ war that is clearly the undeniable sign of the expeditious approach of the fundamentalist Christian ‘End Times’.”
He said that the complaints show a clear violation of the separation of church and state.
Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, is known for his embrace of Christian nationalism. He previously endorsed the doctrine of “sphere sovereignty”, a worldview derived from the extremist beliefs of Christian reconstructionism (CR). The philosophy calls for capital punishment for homosexuality and strictly patriarchal families and churches.
In August 2025, Hegseth reposted a CNN segment on X focusing on pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist who co-founded the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). In the segment, Wilson says he does not believe women should hold leadership positions in the military or be able to fill high-profile combat roles.
“I would like to see this nation being a Christian nation, and I would like this world to be a Christian world,” Wilson said.
In response to a request for comment on the complaints, the Pentagon did not reply, instead sharing public clips of Hegseth discussing the operation in Iran.
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