Pope Leo has labeled Donald Trump’s threats against Iran “unacceptable” in an unusual appeal hours after the U.S. president said “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
Leo, an outspoken critic of the Iran war, called on citizens across the world to contact their political representatives and urge them to bring the expanding conflict to an end.
“Today, as we all know, there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” the pope said Tuesday.
“There are certainly issues here of international law, but even more than that, it is a moral question for the good of the (world’s) people.
It is rare for the pope, who leads 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, to respond directly to a world leader.
The pope was referencing a social media post by Trump that shocked world leaders and led to calls for his removal via the 25th amendment.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” the US president wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday.
“However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?” Trump continued.
“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
Trump said Monday that he was “not at all” concerned about committing possible war crimes after repeatedly vowing to strike civilian infrastructure if the regime does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
He has threatened to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants if Tehran does not meet his 8pm EDT (1am BST) deadline to open the strait.
At least 50 Democratic members of Congress are calling on the Trump administration to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office over his escalating threats against Iran.
The House and Senate are still on recess, and vice-president JD Vance is overseas, so there would not be any imminent action, if any was even possible.
Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has been ramping up his criticism of the U.S-Israeli war against Iran in recent weeks.
The pope made his first direct appeal to Trump last week, urging him to find an “off-ramp” to end the conflict.
Speaking to journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Tuesday, Leo called on citizens across the world to contact their political representatives and ask them to bring the expanding regional conflict to an end.
“People want peace,” he said. “I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities — political leaders, congressmen — to ask them to work for peace.”
Leo also said that many people have referred to the conflict as an “unjust war”, using terminology to indicate hostilities that go against the Catholic Church’s strong pro-life teachings.
He urged people to “remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare”.
The pope also said that attacks on civilian infrastructure “are against international law”.
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