Vatican City, Vatican City State — The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has called for an immediate end to violence in the Middle East, urging world leaders to allow space for dialogue as the conflict sparked by recent air strikes on Iran enters its ninth day.
Speaking at the end of the traditional Angelus prayer in St Peter’s Square, the United States-born pontiff expressed concern over the growing scale of the war and the suffering it may cause across the region.
Okay News reports that tensions escalated after joint air strikes carried out by the United States and Israel targeted locations in Iran, triggering a wave of retaliation that has spread across several parts of the Middle East.
The pope told thousands gathered at the Vatican that developments from the region continue to cause serious concern within the global community.
“Added to the episodes of violence and devastation and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, is the fear that the conflict will spread, and that other countries in the region, including beloved Lebanon, may once again sink into instability,” he said.
The latest phase of the conflict began after strikes by the United States and Israel reportedly destroyed major fuel storage facilities in Tehran, Iran’s capital and largest city. The attacks sparked large fires that sent thick smoke across parts of the metropolis.
In response, Iranian forces launched missile and drone attacks aimed at several countries across the Gulf region and other areas in the Middle East, widening fears of a broader regional confrontation.
Meanwhile, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, has not ruled out deploying American ground troops into Iran. However, he has continued to argue that the military campaign is progressing quickly.
Iran is also preparing to announce a new supreme leader following the recent escalation in hostilities. The position of supreme leader is the highest political and religious authority in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Against this backdrop, Pope Leo XIV urged global leaders to prioritise peace and dialogue over continued military escalation.
“I pray that the roar of the bombs may cease, the weapons may fall silent, and a space for dialogue may open in which the voices of the peoples may be heard,” he said.
His remarks come as diplomats and international observers warn that the expanding conflict could destabilise several countries in the Middle East, a region that already faces long-standing political and security challenges.
