Pope Leo XIV Condemns Trump's Iran Threats

Pope Leo XIV, the American-born leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's threats against Iran as "truly unacceptable" on Tuesday, hours before a midnight deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking to journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, the pontiff described the warnings as a profound moral issue beyond questions of international law, emphasizing the need for peaceful negotiations amid an escalating conflict.

Trump's remarks, posted on the social media platform Truth Social, stated that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if Iran failed to comply with demands to reopen the vital waterway, a key route for Middle Eastern oil exports. The president added that he did not want such an outcome but believed it likely, while expressing hope for positive change following what he called "complete and total regime change" in Iran. The deadline, set for 8 p.m. Eastern Time, followed repeated U.S. vows to target Iranian bridges and power plants if the strait remained closed, actions the pope said would violate international law by attacking civilian infrastructure.