Pope calls Trump’s threat against Iran ‘truly unacceptable’

Pope Leo XIV said on Tuesday that threats against the people of Iran are ‘truly unacceptable’. He made the unusual statement just hours after US President Donald Trump wrote on social media that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again’.

‘Today, as we all know, there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,’ Pope Leo XIV said.

‘There are certainly issues here of international law, but even more than that, it is a moral question for the good of the world’s people,’ he said.

It is rare for a pope, who leads 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, to respond directly to the words of a world leader.

Leo XIV, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has in recent weeks become more vocal in his criticism of the US-Israeli war against Iran. Last week, he directly appealed to Trump, urging him to find an ‘off-ramp’ to end the conflict.

Speaking to reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday, he said: ‘I would urge citizens of all countries involved to contact their authorities – political leaders, congressmen – and ask them to work for peace.’

The Pope also said attacks on civilian infrastructure ‘are contrary to international law’. Trump has threatened to destroy bridges and power plants in Iran.

(reuters, im)