Pope Leo says he's watching a deadly stalemate—and running out of patience. Speaking to reporters on his flight back to Rome after an 11-day trip to Africa, he criticized both Washington and Tehran for failing to revive diplomacy to end the Iran war, describing a back-and-forth of "yes" from one side and "no" from the other that has produced "chaotic" conditions and battered the global economy, NBC News reports. He warned that "many innocent people have died" and highlighted the suffering of ordinary Iranians under the conflict and dueling blockades that have largely locked down the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil route.
The Chicago-born pontiff also condemned reported executions of political opponents in Iran, reiterating his opposition to capital punishment and any regime that "takes away the lives of other people unjustly." Still, he said, "as a pastor" he cannot support war, CNN reports. He mentioned "so many innocents killed" in war, Reuters reports, including a child killed in an Israeli strike on Lebanon, whose picture he carries with him. His comments come amid an ongoing public clash over the war with President Trump, who on Thursday claimed the US has "total control" over the strait and mocked Iran's leadership as divided—an assertion Iran's foreign minister rejected.
Leo did, however, appear to soften one flashpoint with Trump by affirming a state's right to control its borders, but he also pressed wealthy nations to address root causes of migration and insisted migrants must not be treated "worse than pets or animals."
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