Trump reveals his 2 burning Iran questions for Pope Leo after pontiff’s ongoing opposition to war

President Trump said he has two questions for Pope Leo XIV after the pope continued criticizing the war with Iran. In an early-morning interview with The Post, Trump challenged the pope’s opposition to the conflict.

Trump asked why the pope would consider it acceptable for Iran to possess nuclear weapons and for the Iranian government to kill thousands of unarmed protesters. He said that around 42,000 protesters had been killed, many of them young people who were publicly hanged from cranes in city squares.

The president expressed frustration with the comments coming from the American-born pontiff as the two-week cease-fire approaches its scheduled end on Wednesday. Trump argued that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is critical, warning that such weapons could be used and could cause massive loss of life, including among Italians and Catholics around the world.

The Vatican press office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Trump has maintained that weakening Iran’s military strength and nuclear program is necessary for long-term peace. He has also pushed back repeatedly against criticism from the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV has spoken out against the war, urging leaders to end what he called the “madness of war” and criticizing what he described as arrogant leaders who choose armed conflict. During a Palm Sunday Mass on March 29, the pope said that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.

Trump responded by describing the pope as naive and saying the pope’s views are harmful to foreign policy.

The disagreement unfolded as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth publicly invoked Christianity while supporting the U.S. military campaign. On March 25 at the Pentagon, Hegseth delivered a prayer asking for strength through Jesus Christ during Operation Epic Fury. In the prayer, he asked that U.S. troops deliver overwhelming force against enemies who, he said, deserved no mercy.

As tensions between Trump and the pope continued to grow, Trump posted an image on Truth Social on April 12 that appeared to show him depicted as Jesus performing a miracle. The president later removed the image, explaining that he believed it portrayed him as a doctor.