Pope Leo XIV has undercut Donald Trump’s victory lap after his Iran deal, warning that world leaders are too often “feeding” wars instead of addressing humanitarian crises.
The president spent the last week talking up the pope’s support as he sought to sell his Iran deal, which he announced at the G7 summit in France after months of stalled negotiations.
After announcing the agreement, Trump quickly seized on supportive remarks from Pope Leo, sharing the pontiff’s praise for efforts to halt the fighting and prevent further bloodshed in the Middle East.
The president’s celebration came despite mounting criticism that the deal grants Tehran major concessions in exchange for few immediate guarantees.
Under the framework, fighting would pause for two months while Iran regains access to frozen assets, receives sanctions relief, and benefits from a $300 billion fund for the “reconstruction and economic development” of the country.
For his part, Pope Leo welcomed the diplomatic breakthrough.
“I welcome with satisfaction the reaching of an agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, which will be signed on Friday, as an encouraging result of patient work in dialogue and negotiation,” he said Wednesday, adding: “I hope that the agreement may help strengthen mutual trust, security, and stability in the Middle East, promoting paths of dialogue and cooperation among peoples.”
But just days later, the pope struck a markedly different tone while addressing the World Food Program in Rome on Monday.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Leo criticized world leaders for prioritizing conflict over humanitarian needs, arguing that “conflicts are ‘fed’ more readily than people are nourished.”
“This reality reflects not only operational shortcomings but also a fundamental imbalance in political and moral priorities,” he added.
The pontiff also lamented that humanitarian crises have been pushed into a “secondary place among international priorities” as governments devote increasing resources to “national security, economic growth and domestic stability.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
The comments are the latest chapter in an increasingly public clash between the Chicago-born pope and Trump.
Pope Leo has voiced his disagreement with Trump on several issues, including his invasion of Venezuela, the administration’s treatment of immigrants, and the war in Iran, which he condemned as “a war which many people have said is unjust.”
“God does not bless any conflict,” the pontiff wrote on X in April. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
Trump has hit back by falsely claiming Pope Leo said Iran can have a nuclear weapon.
There is no record of the pope ever suggesting Iran should be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Responding to criticism from Trump, Leo said he won’t be silenced and will continue to oppose the war with Iran, a conflict he said was driven by a “delusion of omnipotence.”
“I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do,” Leo said.
