Trump Urges Pope Leo to Recognize Iran as Global Threat
- President Donald Trump said on Thursday it was "very important" for Pope Leo XIV to understand that Iran is a threat to the world.
- Trump made the remarks outside the White House, emphasizing that while the pope is free to express his views, disagreement is permissible.
- "The Pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants, but I can disagree," Trump told reporters.
WASHINGTON, April 16 – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday it was “very important” for Pope Leo XIV to understand that Iran is a threat to the world.
Trump made the remarks outside the White House, emphasizing that while the pope is free to express his views, disagreement is permissible.
“The Pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants, but I can disagree,” Trump told reporters.
He added, “The Pope has to understand that this is the real world.”
The comments come amid an ongoing public exchange between Trump and Pope Leo XIV over the U.S. And Israel’s military actions against Iran, which Trump said he launched on February 28 to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Pope Leo XIV has been vocal in his criticism of the conflict, calling for peace and warning against the “delusion of omnipotence” in military endeavors.
During a recent address in Cameroon on April 16, the pope stated, “Blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” without directly naming Trump or the Iran war.
He also remarked, “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,” as part of a broader condemnation of international violence during his four-country Africa tour.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the pope’s stance, accusing him of being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” and suggesting that Leo supports Iran having nuclear weapons.
On Tuesday night, Trump posted on social media, “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months.”
In response, Pope Leo XIV told reporters at the start of his Africa tour, “I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the Gospel.”
The feud marks an unusual development in U.S.-Vatican relations, with Pope Leo XIV being the first American-born pope, elected on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis.
A tenuous ceasefire is currently in place between the U.S. And Iran, though peace talks have so far failed to yield a resolution.