Israel’s envoy to the Vatican defends current war with Iran as unavoidable, calling it a “just war” to prevent nuclear catastrophe.
Newsroom (25/03/2026 Gaudium Press) As global tensions mount amid the widening war in Iran—now threatening to spill into a broader global confrontation—Israel’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, has forcefully defended his country’s military intervention. Speaking to Crux Now, Sideman described Israel’s actions as “the most just war conceivable,” arguing that diplomatic efforts had failed to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“This war, at this point, was inevitable,” Sideman stated, emphasizing that years of dialogue with Iran had proven fruitless. “Attempts at diplomacy have been continuously exploited by the regime to buy time, not to change course.”
Missiles Across Faith Lines
In recent days, the violence has touched nearly all corners of Jerusalem’s sacred geography. Sideman confirmed reports that an Iranian missile exploded near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, also damaging the Armenian Patriarchate, the Jewish Quarter, and the area surrounding the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Iran is firing missiles indiscriminately toward densely populated civilian areas—towards Jerusalem, towards holy sites belonging to Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike,” Sideman said. “Yesterday proved how little respect this regime has for any culture or faith.”
The ambassador argued that Israel remains committed to safeguarding freedom of worship for all religions, calling it a principle enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. “We do everything in our power to protect freedom of religion for all faiths … while Iran continues to target the very places that symbolize coexistence,” he added.
Stopping a Nuclear Iran
Asked why military action resumed after a summer lull, Sideman attributed it to Iran’s determination to continue developing its nuclear and ballistic programs. Intelligence reports, he said, revealed Tehran was moving its military nuclear infrastructure deeper underground to avoid future attacks.
“That we could not allow to happen,” Sideman said, warning that failure to act would have left Israel and the world facing an emboldened, nuclear-armed Iran. “Imagine the missiles they’re firing now—if they were equipped with nuclear warheads. The entire world would be under the regime’s threat.”
He recalled that last June’s campaign dealt a significant blow to Iran’s capabilities but did not eliminate them. “Dialogue didn’t work, negotiations didn’t work. This is about ensuring that Iran cannot hold the world hostage with nuclear capability.”
The Human Cost and the “Just War”
Sideman acknowledged the tragedy of civilian casualties, including reports of bombings at a girls’ school inside Iran. Yet he maintained that while all war is terrible, this conflict was necessitated by Iran’s brutality against its own people and its global aggression.
“Every loss of innocent life is a tragedy,” he said. “But one must remember the tens of thousands of Iranians massacred by their own regime for peacefully demonstrating. That same regime now fires missiles at civilians across the Middle East and Europe.”
For Sideman, such realities render the war not only defensible but morally compelled. “This is not just any conflict—it is the most just war conceivable,” he said, asserting that failure to act would have left the Iranian regime with unprecedented destructive power.
A Clash of Visions with the Vatican
Pope Leo and several Catholic leaders have repeatedly condemned the escalating hostilities, calling the war “immoral” and urging an immediate ceasefire. Sideman, however, rejected the notion that Israel’s campaign conflicts with moral doctrine.
“I have not heard the Pope call this war unjust,” he said. “I fully agree with his emphasis on eradicating hatred and seeking peace through dialogue—but dialogue can only succeed when both sides act in good faith.”
He argued that four decades of failed negotiations demonstrated Tehran’s duplicity. “They used dialogue to stall, deceive, and develop dangerous programs in secret. There comes a time when waiting is no longer an option.”
The Role of Religion and the Prospect for Peace
Despite the friction with Catholic leaders, Sideman voiced deep respect for the role of faith in guiding humanity toward peace. He suggested that eliminating the Iranian regime could ultimately create new opportunities for reconciliation in the region.
“Israel is committed to peace,” he insisted. “We have peace with nations that were once our fiercest enemies. If the Iranian regime—the main obstacle to peace—is removed, the circle of peace in the Middle East will only grow.”
Sideman highlighted the importance of preserving religious sites and protecting worshippers of all faiths, calling this “a sacred duty.” While acknowledging the moral weight of religious voices calling for restraint, he maintained that peace sometimes requires strength.
“Freedom of worship means nothing if people are unsafe,” he said. “Our responsibility, before anything else, is to protect human life. That’s what this war is ultimately about.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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