Pope Condemns Threats to Civilians in Iran as ‘Unacceptable’ Amid Trump Ultimatum
“Today... there was this threat against all the people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” he said. “There are certainly questions of international law, but much more than that, it is a moral question.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday denounced threats against civilian targets in Iran as “unacceptable,” warning that such actions raise serious moral and legal concerns as tensions escalate between Washington and Tehran.
Speaking to journalists as he departed his residence in Castel Gandolfo for the Vatican, the pontiff criticized rhetoric suggesting harm to the Iranian population, without directly naming the United States.
“Today... there was this threat against all the people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,” he said. “There are certainly questions of international law, but much more than that, it is a moral question.”
His remarks came hours before a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned that “a whole civilization will die” if Iran fails to comply with demands to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has effectively closed the waterway—one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes—since the outbreak of war in February involving the United States and Israel, triggering a global energy shock.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, emphasized that attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law and called for urgent diplomacy.
“Let’s talk. Let’s look for solutions in a peaceful way,” he urged, appealing to all parties to return to negotiations.
The pope also encouraged citizens worldwide to pressure political leaders to pursue peace. “Ask them… to work for peace and to reject war always,” he said.
On Tuesday, Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a direct appeal to President Trump.
“The threat of destroying a whole civilization and the intentional targeting of civilian infrastructure cannot be morally justified,” Coakley wrote in an open letter. “I call on President Trump to step back from the precipice of war and negotiate a just settlement for the sake of peace and before more lives are lost.”