Pope Leo urges Trump to find a way to end Iran war

Pope Leo makes a rare direct appeal to President Trump, urging him to find a peaceful “off-ramp” to end the Iran war and curb regional violence. The pontiff emphasizes the need for dialogue to reduce escalating conflict.

Reuters

1 April 2026 at 09:20:02

Pope Leo urges Trump to find a way to end Iran war

Pope Leo XIV, dressed for the first time in a white overcoat layered over his cassock, an outer garment often worn by popes in cold or windy weather, attends the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 1, 2026.

Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

Pope Leo urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (March 31) to look for an "off-ramp" to end the Iran war, in an unusual direct appeal from the pontiff to the president to end the expanding regional conflict.

"I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war," said Leo, the first pope from the United States.

"Hopefully he's looking for an off-ramp," the pope told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. "Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence."

-Reuters