Pope Leo made a rare statement about US President Trump.

Pope Leo said that threats against the Iranian people are “unacceptable.” This rare comment came just hours after US President Donald Trump posted that “an entire civilization will die tonight.”

Pope Leo. (Photo: Reuters)
“Today, as we all know, there have been threats against the entire Iranian people, and this is absolutely unacceptable,” the Pope said.

“Certainly there are issues of international law here, but more than that, it’s a moral question for people (around the world),” he added.

It is rare for the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholic faithful to directly comment on the actions or statements of a world leader. Pope Leo, known for his cautious tone, has repeatedly criticized the US-Israeli war against Iran in recent weeks.

Last week, he issued his first direct appeal to Mr. Trump, urging him to find a “way out” to end the conflict.

Speaking to reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on April 7, Pope Leo urged people around the world to contact their political representatives to demand an end to the escalating regional conflict.

“People want peace. I call on citizens of all countries involved to reach out to authorities, political leaders, and parliamentarians to ask them to act for peace,” he said.

Pope Leo also stated that many people call this conflict an “unjust war”—a term referring to hostile actions that go against the Catholic Church’s teachings on the pro-life doctrine.

He urged everyone to “remember especially the innocent children, the elderly, the sick, so many who have become or will become victims of this protracted war.”

Meanwhile, the American leader threatened to destroy any bridges and power plants in Iran if Tehran did not make concessions on the nuclear issue and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Also on April 7th, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot expressed hope that President Trump would not carry out his latest threats against Iran.

“You can’t wipe out a civilization… This ultimatum is not the first time President Trump has issued one since the war began. I hope he will not carry out threats that could push the region, and the world, into a particularly dangerous new escalation,” Barrot told France 2 television.

Earlier that day, Trump threatened that “an entire civilization will die tonight,” as Iran showed no sign of accepting the ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before the evening of April 7.

However, late on April 7, President Trump said he agreed to halt bombing Iran for two weeks, accepting the 14-day ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators.