Pope Leo XIV has condemned ongoing military strikes on Iran, warning that religion should not be used to justify violence and stressing that war cannot bring lasting peace.
In a message posted on his official X account on Friday, the pontiff said armed conflict undermines coexistence among nations and contradicts Christian teachings on peace. “God does not bless any conflict,” he wrote, adding that military action cannot create conditions for freedom or stability.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions following coordinated strikes involving the United States and Israel, which began earlier this year. The pope, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, has repeatedly spoken out against the violence since the campaign began in February.
The comments were widely interpreted as a response to statements from officials in the administration of Donald Trump, who have framed aspects of the operation in religious terms while defending the military action.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier described the conflict as a “holy war,” drawing criticism from religious leaders and analysts concerned about the use of faith-based language in relation to military operations.
In a separate message on Friday, Pope Leo warned about the growing humanitarian impact of the conflict across the region, particularly on civilians and religious communities. He described the violence spreading across parts of the Christian East as “absurd and inhuman.”
“No gain can be worth the life of the weakest, children, or families. No cause can justify the shedding of innocent blood,” he said.
The U.S. government has continued to defend its actions, with President Trump stating last week that he believes the operation has divine support and warning that further escalation remains possible.
The conflict has already resulted in thousands of deaths across the Middle East since the strikes began on February 28, raising concerns among international observers about the risk of wider regional instability.
Earlier in March, Pope Leo also condemned the fighting during a Palm Sunday Mass at St Peter’s Square, describing the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States as “atrocious” and cautioning political leaders against invoking religion to justify war.
