Pope Leo XIV urges an end to the Middle East violence as President Trump sends troops and advances a 15-point peace plan to Iran.
Newsroom (25/03/2026 Gaudium Press) Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday renewed his heartfelt call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, pleading with world leaders to replace weapons with words as the region sinks deeper into conflict. The pontiff’s appeal came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a sweeping 15-point peace initiative aimed at Iran and announced the deployment of thousands of additional American troops to the region.
“I wish to renew the appeal for a ceasefire,” the pope told reporters gathered outside his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. “I urge all authorities to truly work through dialogue to resolve problems.”
Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, has repeatedly urged international leaders to de-escalate the violence that has enveloped the Middle East in recent weeks. His message Tuesday was pointed and urgent. “Work for peace, but not with weapons—with dialogue,” he said. “Hatred is increasing. Violence keeps getting worse.”
His words echoed as reports continued to emerge of catastrophic destruction across Lebanon and Iran. The ongoing Israeli campaign, marked by relentless airstrikes and advancing ground forces in Lebanon, has already killed as many as 4,000 people, according to local officials. More than a million have fled their homes—a staggering one in seven residents—creating a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale in the small Mediterranean nation. Humanitarian agencies estimate more than four million people now require urgent assistance.
In Iran, where a joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign has entered its fourth week, the toll has been just as grim. Thousands have been reported dead or injured—many of them civilians—while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, disrupting vital oil shipping routes.
Amid the deepening crisis, President Trump moved to expand America’s military footprint. The Pentagon issued orders for 2,000 soldiers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to relocate to undisclosed positions across the Middle East. The deployment, U.S. officials suggested, would give the president “greater operational flexibility” as his peace plan takes shape.
While the White House has released few details of the 15-point initiative, early reports indicated the proposal was delivered to Tehran through diplomatic channels led by Pakistan. Islamabad’s involvement underscored its delicate position as both a neighbor to Iran and a long-time U.S. partner.
In a brief statement posted to social media, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country was “honored to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict.”
Pakistan, sharing a border with Iran and home to both Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities, has long balanced its strategic interests in the region. Its willingness to mediate may signal a rare opening in an otherwise grim geopolitical landscape.
As diplomatic maneuvers unfold, Leo XIV’s plea carried a moral weight that transcended political boundaries. “More than a million people are isolated,” the pope lamented. “And there are so many dead.”
His call, rooted in a vision of human dignity and reconciliation, stood in sharp contrast to the hard power now shaping the region’s future.
Whether world leaders will heed that call—and choose dialogue over division—may determine if the Middle East sees a path to peace or descends further into despair.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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