VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has appealed for an end to the war in Iran, warning that the escalating conflict could destabilize more countries across the Middle East, including Lebanon.
Speaking to pilgrims after the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pontiff said recent developments in Iran and across the region had caused “deep dismay” and heightened fears of a broader war.
“Amid episodes of violence and devastation, and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict may widen and that other countries in the region, including dear Lebanon, may once again sink into instability,” the pope said.
Appeal for dialogue and peace
The pope urged global leaders and parties involved in the conflict to pursue dialogue rather than violence.
“We lift up our humble prayer to the Lord so that the roar of bombs may cease, weapons may fall silent, and space may open for dialogue in which the voice of the people can be heard,” he said.
He added that he entrusts the prayer to the Virgin Mary, asking her to intercede for victims of war and guide leaders toward reconciliation.
Escalating regional conflict
The pope’s appeal comes amid intensifying hostilities involving Israel, Iran, and regional armed groups.
According to the Associated Press, Israeli forces struck an oil storage facility in Tehran and carried out targeted operations in southern Lebanon against commanders linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Meanwhile, Iran has reportedly launched missile strikes against U.S. allies in the Gulf, including Bahrain, where a desalination plant was targeted.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, defended the strike, arguing that the United States had previously set the precedent after allegedly striking a similar facility in Iran.
Rising death toll
The violence has led to significant casualties across the region.
Officials say the conflict between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces has killed 394 people in Lebanon, including 83 children.
Since the war began on February 28, at least 1,230 people in Iran, around a dozen in Israel, and six U.S. service members have been killed, according to international media reports.
Pope renews call for diplomacy
The pontiff reiterated that peace cannot be achieved through threats or military escalation.
Just hours after reports emerged that Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, had been killed during the conflict, the pope warned of the dangers of a spiraling war.
“Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons that sow destruction, suffering, and death,” he said.
“They can only be achieved through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue.”
The pope urged all parties to take what he described as a “moral responsibility” to halt the violence before it evolves into what he warned could become “a tragedy of immense proportions.”
