Iran’s president condemns ‘insult’ aimed at Pope Leo after Trump's attack

Iran’s president on Monday condemned US President Donald Trump’s insults aimed at Pope Leo XIV, adding that showing disrespect towards the pontiff and Jesus is unacceptable.

On US social media company X, Masoud Pezeshkian condemned Trump’s remarks “on behalf of the great nation of Iran,” adding that the desecration of “Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood,” is not acceptable to any free person.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry later also criticized Trump’s remarks.

“In an era when the thunder of bombs and the clamor of warlords and aggressors weigh heavily on the world’s conscience, the words of Pope Leo XIV echo the profound call of the Gospel: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’,” ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on X, adding that insulting the pope is “not only unchristian,” but also “a blatant assault on responsible advocacy for peace, justice and humanity.”

Pezeshkian and Baghaei's statements came after Trump launched a broadside against Pope Leo, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” while also questioning the circumstances of his election last May.

Trump also criticized the pope’s stance on international issues, including the Iran war, and suggested that his leadership of the Catholic Church was politically motivated.

The US president also shared an AI-generated photo on Truth Social depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure.

The pope, in response, said he was not afraid of the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war, emphasizing that his position is rooted in religious principles rather than politics. He also said he had no intention of entering into a direct debate with Trump.

The exchange comes amid Pope Leo’s increasingly vocal criticism of the US-Israeli war on Iran, including calls for an end to the conflict and condemnation of what he described as the display of power driving the war.