Pope Leo XIV has responded after US President Donald Trump accused him of supporting Iran's nuclear weapons programme, a claim the Vatican has not endorsed. Trump made the remarks in an interview with Hugh Hewitt on Salem News Channel, where he criticised the pope's public statements and suggested they implied support for Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
"Well, the pope would rather talk about the fact that it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don't think that's very good," Trump said. "I think he's endangering a lot of Catholics, and a lot of people… he thinks it's just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon." The pope did not refer to Trump directly but reiterated the Church's long-standing opposition to nuclear arms.
"I have already spoken from the first moment 'Peace be with you.' The mission of the Church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If anyone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully," he said. "The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that," he added.
The exchange comesdays before Marco Rubiois due to visit the Vatican. According to the US State Department, Rubio is expected to meet senior Holy See officials to discuss the situation in the Middle East and other areas of mutual interest.
Trump has repeatedly linked the pope's calls for peace to his own interpretation of the Vatican's stance on Iran. In a separate social media post, he wrote: "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."
The pontiff has previously called for a world "free from the nuclear threat" and urged global leaders to pursue diplomacy. Speaking at St Peter's Basilica on 12 April, he said: "It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table where rearmament is planned, and deadly actions are decided."
Responding to questions at a White House briefing, Rubio rejected suggestions that the president had accused the pope of directly endorsing Iran's nuclear ambitions. "I don't think that's an accurate description of what he said," he said, adding that the administration's position was that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons.
He also accused Iran of "holding the whole world hostage" through its actions in the Strait of Hormuz and warned of the risks if it were to acquire such weapons. "What do you think they would do if they had a nuclear weapon? They would hold the world hostage with that nuclear weapon," Rubio said.
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