Pope Leo calls to "reject war" as Trump doubles down on Iran

Summary

Pope Leo XIV issued a renewed appeal for peace and nuclear disarmament as President Donald Trump signaled Tuesday that the United States would escalate military operations against Iran. Speaking at the White House, Trump said Iran "desperately" wants to negotiate a ceasefire after more than a week of U.S. and Iranian exchanges but insisted that the conflict is far from over and that any site connected to Tehran's nuclear ambitions could become a target. "We're not finished," Trump told reporters. "We're not leaving." The president also reiterated that Iran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, warning that the U.S. would strike "any site where they're even thinking about nuclear." "We'll be hitting that area very, probably pretty soon and very heavily," Trump said when asked about Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified underground complex believed to be associated with Iran's nuclear program. Trump added that the U.S. had inflicted damage that would take Iran "20, 25 years to recover from." His comments came as Pope Leo made one of his strongest public appeals yet for an end to the fighting. "I am asking all people of goodwill to search always for peace and not violence, to reject war," the pontiff said. "Especially an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate. Let's remember the innocent people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare." The pope's remarks underscored growing concern within the Vatican over the humanitarian consequences of the expanding conflict, which began on February 28 and has raised fears of broader regional instability and further civilian casualties. Pope Calls for Peace Built on Truth The Vatican's message was reinforced in a new book by Pope Leo, in which he argues that genuine peace cannot be achieved through military force or political rhetoric alone. "Peace is built with truth," the pope writes. "Even those who make war claim to act 'in the name' of peace. No one has the audacity to declare that they want war for the sake of war: even the powerful of the Earth know that every person aspires to justice and wishes to live in peace." The comments stand in sharp contrast to the increasingly forceful tone adopted by the Trump administration, which has argued that sustained military pressure is necessary to eliminate Iran's nuclear capabilities and compel Tehran to negotiate. Trump Signals More Military Action Trump said U.S. forces would maintain pressure on Iran despite his assertion that Iranian officials are seeking talks. "They cannot have a nuclear weapon and they won't have…no chance of having a nuclear weapon," he said. The president also appeared to shift blame for the deaths of three U.S. service members killed in the Middle East over the weekend as he confirmed that he would travel to Dover Air Force Base for the dignified transfer of their remains. "They did slip something through in Jordan," Trump told reporters, apparently referring to the deadly Iranian ballistic missile and drone attack. "If we had other operators, you know, it would have not happened, unfortunately. "We've stopped almost everything, but when you let other people do your job with the United States—we let other people do the job—and sometimes it doesn't work out so well." Trump did not elaborate on who he believed was responsible for protecting U.S. forces in Jordan, and it was not immediately clear whom he was referring to in his comments. The White House did not immediately provide additional clarification He also described the U.S. military blockade of Iranian ports as a "steel wall," saying "nobody gets through." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the administration's position, saying Iran had been given repeated opportunities to negotiate but that U.S. forces would continue striking military targets if Tehran failed to change course. "If they want to talk, they can talk," he said. "Otherwise they can deal with the War Department. And we're prepared." Growing Divide Although Pope Leo has not mentioned Trump by name, his repeated calls for peace and rejection of war have increasingly contrasted with Trump's escalating rhetoric on Iran. In April, Trump responded to the perceived rebuke of the administration's military approach, calling Pope Leo “WEAK on crime,” and “terrible for Foreign Policy." "I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess,” Trump added. “I am not a fan of Pope Leo.” The pope responded that he had "no fear of the Trump administration," although he said he did not want to "get into a debate with [Trump]. "I don’t think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing." The pope's latest appeal highlights the widening divide between religious leaders calling for an immediate end to hostilities and world powers arguing that military force remains necessary to prevent nuclear proliferation. Senators Split on Trump's Strategy Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida defended Trump's rationale for the military campaign, saying the president has made clear why he believes military action is necessary. "I think he's explained that we don't want to be killed by nuclear weapons, and Iran was in the process of building them, and they can't have them," Scott told Newsweek, when asked whether the administration had sufficiently explained the conflict. Asked about the three U.S. service members who recently died and whose dignified transfer Trump is expected to attend, Scott said they "died to protect American lives." "Iran's been killing Americans for 47 years, and our military's trying to stop them," he added. Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey offered a sharply different assessment, accusing Trump of bypassing Congress and failing to meet his stated military objectives. "This is a president who's now been at war for months since February, and has obviously violated the Constitution because he's not come to Congress at all for the authorization to use this military force," Booker told Newsweek. "He has really betrayed the American people as their costs continue to grow, as we're losing soldiers, as we're spending tens of billions of dollars, and there's not adequate accountability." Booker said the deaths of the three U.S. service members were "tragic," adding: "We in Congress owe it to them to do our jobs and hold this president accountable for this war." Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, also criticized the administration's handling of the conflict, arguing that it has failed to justify the military campaign or provide adequate information to Congress and the public. "The Trump administration has failed utterly and totally to provide factual justification for this war in Iran," Blumenthal told Newsweek. "It was a war of choice, really a war of impulse and whim." He added that the administration has not disclosed key information "about the costs in dollars and cents, about injuries to our servicemen and women, about damage to our facilities, and weapons platforms." Asked what the three Americans who died had sacrificed their lives for, Blumenthal responded: "That really is the key question. What are all the costs for? What is it for? What are the deaths for? Real tragedies, unspeakable betrayal of trust by this administration." Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Dave Siminoff.