A threat against the entire Iranian people is "unacceptable," Pope Leo said on Tuesday, responding to US President Donald Trump's earlier warning that "a whole civilization will die tonight."
Speaking to journalists as he left his residence in Castel Gandolfo for the Vatican, the Pope said: "Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable."
Earlier, Trump threatened to bomb power stations and bridges across Iran if Tehran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reach an agreement by Tuesday night at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT Wednesday).
He framed the remarks not only as a legal concern but as a moral imperative. "There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more, it is a moral question concerning the good of the people as a whole."
Leo pointed to the broader context of global instability, saying there is "a worldwide economic crisis, an energy crisis, and a situation in the Middle East of great instability, which is only provoking more hatred throughout the world."
"Let's remember, especially, the innocent: children, the elderly, the sick, so many people who have already become, or will become, victims of this continued warfare. Attacks on civilian infrastructure are against international law, and… a sign of the hatred, division, and destruction that the human being is capable of," he noted.
"I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved… to contact the authorities — political leaders, congressmen — to ask them, to tell them, to work for peace and to reject war and violence," he said.
Regional escalations have continued since Israel and the US launched an offensive against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,400 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties, damaging infrastructure, and disrupting global markets and aviation.
