Pope Leo XIV has broken his silence following the attacks on Saturday
Pope Leo XIV has urged for “peace,” calling for world leaders to stop the “cycle of violence” following the Israeli-US missile strikes that led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Further retaliation strikes were launched by Iran with the Pope expressing “deep concern” in what he called a “tumultuous time”. The Express reports he added: “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.
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, 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!”
The Holy Father also prayed for nations during the weekly address at St. Peter’s Square and urged to revisit diplomatic solutions in order to secure peace.
“May diplomacy recover its role and may the good of peoples be promoted, peoples who long for peaceful coexistence founded on justice,’ he noted, ‘And let us continue to pray for peace.”
The first American-born pope has previously voiced concern over the Trump administration’s foreign policy, warning of a “zeal for war” following U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
His most recent comments come as tensions in the region sharply escalated following the joint U.S.–Israeli operation targeting Iranian leadership and military sites. Washington has defended the strikes as necessary for security, while Tehran has vowed retaliation, raising fears the conflict could spread across the wider Middle East.
The pontiff did not name any country directly but urged leaders to recognise the humanitarian consequences of further escalation. He warned that ordinary civilians would bear the heaviest cost if fighting continues.
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