Iran war, Hegseth agenda test religious freedom in ranks
USA TODAY
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation said it received more than 200 complaints about perceived Christian nationalist sentiments amid war in Iran.
The United States' war in Iran has heightened existing concerns among some service members about the influence of Christian nationalism on the military under Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth's leadership.
The country began carrying out joint strikes with Israel on Feb. 28 that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least 1,230 people had been killed in Iran as of March 5, along with scores of other deaths around the Middle East.
Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, told USA TODAY on March 4 the organization had received "far greater than” 200 complaints related to religious freedom from service members across more than 50 military installations since the war broke out.
One such complaint alleged that a commander told non-commissioned officers in a March 2 briefing that President Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.”
The Pentagon did not respond to USA TODAY’s inquiries as to whether it investigated or verified the complaint, nor whether commanders are permitted to make such comments to subordinates under Hegseth’s leadership.
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