Pope Leo's tweet slamming Trump’s strike on Iran nuclear sites goes viral: 'War does not solve problems'

VATICAN CITY, ROME: Pope Leo XIV condemned escalating tension in the Middle East and advocated for diplomacy as a path forward following President Donald Trump’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

On Saturday, June 21, the 79-year-old president announced that the US had struck three of Iran’s nuclear facilities using a combination of B-2 bombers equipped with 30,000-pound “bunker-busting” bombs and other military aircraft.

Pope Leo says ‘war does not solve problems’

Following the US military’s bombardment of Iran, the American Pontiff took to X to call for diplomacy and peace efforts amid the escalating war-like situation in the Middle East.

"War does not solve problems; on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal,” the Pope wrote on June 22, according to Buzzfeed.

“No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures. May diplomacy silence the weapons!”

“May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts!” he continued.

The Middle East is currently at a precarious crossroads as hostilities between Iran and Israel intensify. The back and forth between the two began on June 13, when Israel launched blistering attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military sites.

Pope Leo urges global unity after Donald Trump’s Iran strike

Pope Leo XVI didn’t limit his calls for peace to X. During his weekly address on Sunday, just a day after Donald Trump attacked Iran, the American Pontiff said the international community must collectively work to ensure peace.

“Alarming news continues to emerge from the Middle East, especially from Iran,” he said, according to Daily Beast.

“Today, more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict.”

“Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable chasm. There are no ‘distant’ conflicts when human dignity is at stake,” he continued.

Internet agrees with Pope Leo’s call for peace

Many internet users agreed with Pope Leo XVI’s call for peace, with one user saying, “I would not have predicted when I was 18 that the Pope would be one of the sanest voices in international politics. So help us God.”

“A decent human being pleading for diplomacy,” another one said.

“The pope is correct that war does not solve problems. Trump bombed without strategy, he broke promises of peace, and he is flirting with global disaster,” another one slammed.

 “That's right. War is never good. Pray for peace,” a user agreed.

“The only people who benefit from war are the ones who never have to fight in it,” another user said.

A person wrote, “War is never the answer.  May God Bless you pope Leo.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.