Tehran's acting Friday prayer leader has said that the religious punishment for US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be execution, citing their alleged crimes and threats against Iran's leadership, IRNA reported on July 4.

Ahmad Khatami made the statements during his sermon at Tehran's Mosalla in uptown Tehran, condemning Trump's recent threats against Iran and the Islamic Revolution leader following the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

Friday prayer speeches are usually aligned with the office supreme leader, who has not been seen in public since the end of the Israel-Iran war. However, the supreme leader's office has not commented. 

"As a professor of advanced Islamic jurisprudence and principles in Qom, I say that the religious ruling for punishing Trump and Netanyahu is execution," Khatami said.

He cited three jurisprudential grounds: killing people ,including over 53,000 in Gaza and Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani; being rebels; and being corruptors on earth and enemies of God and the Prophet.

Khatami said religious authorities in Qom and Najaf have taken positions on this matter, with senior clerics Makarem and Nouri Hamedani recently declaring that threatening Iran's Supreme Leader constitutes warfare against Islam.

The cleric condemned Trump's stated intention to force Iran's surrender, calling it "the height of ignorance" and noting that 47 years of pressure have failed to subdue the Iranian nation.

Khatami praised Iran's parliament for two recent decisions: suspending cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and toughening penalties for espionage and collaboration with hostile regimes. He described IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi as "a Zionist and their collaborator" who would no longer be allowed into Iran.

In his devotional sermon, Khatami referenced Iran's mourning for over 950 people killed during the recent 12-day conflict, comparing their sacrifice to the Battle of Karbala whilst noting the difference that these martyrs received massive funeral processions.

The cleric warned against creating polarisation between nation and religious community concepts, stating that love for the Islamic homeland represents love for God and citing religious traditions that "love of homeland is part of faith".