Just hours after the United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, Pope Leo XIV described the situation in the Middle East as “alarming” and urged world leaders to choose diplomacy over violence.
Speaking to thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square on June 22 following the Angelus prayer, the pope said, “Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: Stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss.”
The day before, President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. had conducted “massive precision strikes” on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities, declaring the operation a “spectacular military success.” He emphasized the goal was to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and deter what he called “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.” Trump warned that if Iran did not pursue peace, future U.S. attacks would be “far greater and a lot easier.”
The U.S. airstrikes came 10 days after Israel began targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, prompting Iranian retaliation. The escalating conflict has resulted in at least 400 deaths in Iran and 24 in Israel, according to reports.
Pope Leo responded by emphasizing the shared global yearning for peace. “It is a cry that calls for responsibility and reason and must not be drowned out by the din of weapons,” he said. “There is no distant conflict when human dignity is at stake.” He also expressed concern that the devastation in Iran could shift focus away from ongoing humanitarian crises in Gaza and other regions.
“War does not solve problems—it magnifies them,” the pope warned. “No military victory can erase the anguish of grieving mothers, terrified children, or stolen futures.” He concluded with a plea: “Let diplomacy silence the weapons. Let nations chart their future with works of peace, not with violence and bloody conflicts.”
