Pope Leo XIV has issued a pointed, though carefully worded, rebuke of President Donald Trump’s decision to launch missile strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, cautioning against the escalation of military conflict and urging world leaders to return to diplomacy.
In a post on the social media platform X on Sunday afternoon, the pontiff stated, “War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal.” The statement came less than 24 hours after U.S. B-2 bombers struck three key nuclear sites in Iran — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — in what U.S. officials described as a limited but necessary operation to dismantle Iran’s nuclear weapons capability.
War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal. No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures. May diplomacy silence the weapons!…
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) June 22, 2025
While Pope Leo XIV did not mention President Trump or the United States directly, the timing and language of his message suggest a direct response to the military campaign.
“No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures,” the pope wrote. “May diplomacy silence the weapons! May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts.”
The statement marks the first major foreign policy commentary from Leo XIV, who assumed the papacy less than two months ago. His appeal extended beyond the U.S.-Iran conflict to highlight the wider instability across the Middle East. He referenced the “alarming news” coming from Iran and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, noting that daily suffering risks being forgotten amid global geopolitical tensions.
Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict. Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility…
— Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) June 22, 2025
“Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace,” he said. “This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict.”
Pope Leo XIV concluded his remarks with a broader appeal to the global community, warning that no conflict is truly distant when human dignity is at stake: “Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable chasm.”
