Pope Leo: US Threats Against Iran Unacceptable
Moscow (ANTARA) - Pope Leo XIV has stated that the threats issued by US President Donald Trump against Iran are “unacceptable”.
“Today, as we all know, there are threats against the entire Iranian people. And this is truly unacceptable!” said Pope Leo to journalists outside Rome on Tuesday (7/4), as quoted by the Holy See.
“Certainly there are issues of international law here, but more than that, this is a moral question concerning the well-being of the people as a whole,” said the American-born Pope.
Pope Leo stated that conflicts in the Middle East “solve nothing,” but instead trigger economic and energy crises.
Urging the warring parties to return to the negotiating table, he warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure contravene international law.
“Let us remember, especially, the innocent people: children, the elderly, the sick… so many people who have become, or will become, victims of this ongoing war,” said the supreme leader of the Catholic Church.
“Attacks on civilian infrastructure contravene international law, and they are also a sign of the hatred, division, and destruction that humans are capable of,” he added.
Previously, Trump threatened to destroy “the entire civilisation” of Iran.
He also threatened to bomb power plants and bridges across Iran if Tehran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reach an agreement by Tuesday at 8:00 pm EDT or Wednesday at 7:00 am WIB.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that Iran could “go back to the Stone Age” if it fails to reach an agreement before the deadline.
This war of words is further exacerbating the latest conflict in the Middle East, triggered by US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February.
Iran responded by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.
Initially, the US and Israel claimed their attacks were necessary to counter threats from Iran’s nuclear programme, but both soon clarified that they wanted to see a change of power in Iran.
Source: Sputnik/RIA Novosti