Pope Leo XIV has delivered a strong message to United States President Donald Trump regarding the escalating military actions in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for dialogue over violence.
Speaking from the Vatican on Sunday, the pontiff expressed deep concern over the unfolding situation in Iran following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time,” Pope Leo XIV said.
“Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.”
The remarks came shortly after Trump vowed to strike Iran “with a force that has never been seen before” in retaliation for Tehran’s threats of revenge.
The Pope, the first-ever American-born pontiff, warned of the potential for large-scale bloodshed if tensions continue to escalate.
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” he said, “I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”
He concluded by calling on nations to prioritize diplomacy and the pursuit of peace.
“May diplomacy recover its role and may the good of peoples be promoted, peoples who long for peaceful coexistence founded on justice. And let us continue to pray for peace.”
