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Pope Leo XIV warned Sunday that U.S.-Israel airstrikes on Iran risk plunging the Middle East into an “irreparable abyss,” urging leaders to halt a dangerous spiral of violence.
Speaking at the Angelus, the pontiff expressed “deep concern” over recent developments and called on nations to choose dialogue over war.
“Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue,” the pope said, according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo XIV leads the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican on March 1, 2026. The pontiff warned that escalating violence in the Middle East risks becoming an “irreparable abyss.” (REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane)
“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” he added, “I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”
The pope’s warning came after Israel and the U.S. launched a joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.” The attacks reportedly killed several senior leaders, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.
Meanwhile, Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday as Tehran’s latest missile barrage landed miles from Jerusalem.
The pope reinforced his warning in a two-part message posted Sunday morning on X.
PUTIN: KILLING OF KHAMENEI A ‘CYNICAL VIOLATION’ OF MORALITY
TEHRAN, IRAN – FEBRUARY 28: Smoke rises over the city center after an Israeli army launches 2nd wave of airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026. (Photo by Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“I am following with deep concern what is happening in the Middle East and in Iran during this tumultuous time,” he wrote.
“Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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In a follow-up post, he warned of “the possibility of a tragedy of immense proportions” and urged all parties involved to “assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.”
“May diplomacy regain its proper role, and may the well-being of peoples, who yearn for peaceful existence founded on justice, be upheld. And let us continue to pray for peace,” he added.
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