Trump renews criticism of Pope Leo over Iran war stance
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 13, 2026. (AFP Photo)


U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday night renewed his criticism of Pope Leo, who has condemned Trump’s war and immigration policies.

In a post on ⁠Truth Social, Trump urged ⁠that "someone please tell Pope Leo" about the killings of protesters by Iran and that "for Iran to have ​a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable."

The ​U.S. and ⁠Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.

Iran does not have nuclear weapons, while the U.S. does. Israel is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear weapons.

While Western countries have long believed that Iran wants a nuclear ⁠bomb – ⁠or at least the ability to make one very quickly – Tehran has always denied that, citing its membership of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Trump's comments come after Pope Leo warned earlier in the day of the risk of democracies sliding into "majoritarian tyranny."

The first U.S. pope, Leo, wrote in a letter issued by the Vatican about the use ⁠of power in democratic societies and said democracies remained healthy only when they were rooted in moral values.

The pope has criticized Trump’s decision ​to launch the war against Iran, saying God rejects the prayers ​of those who launch wars and have "hands full of blood."

The pope termed Trump's threat this month to ⁠destroy ‌the Iranian ‌civilization as unacceptable and previously declined to ⁠join the U.S. president's so-called "Board of Peace" ‌initiative for Gaza.

The religious leader has also urged a "deep reflection" ​on the way migrants are treated ⁠in the U.S., while Trump has ⁠pursued a hardline immigration policy.

On Sunday, Trump called the pope "weak" ⁠and "terrible" on crime and ​foreign policy issues.