The US president claimed that the Pope had previously indicated a differing position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, stating that the pontiff was ‘fine’ if Tehran goes nuclear
NEW DELHI — US President Donald Trump once again reiterated that ‘the entire world would be held hostage’ if Iran acquires nuclear weapons as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in West Asia continue alongside rising military tensions across the region.
Trump expressed his concern on the issue ahead of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s meeting with Pope Leo, saying the Pope’s position on Iran remained unchanged.
He further claimed that the Pope had previously indicated a differing position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, stating that the pontiff “was fine” if Tehran acquired any nuclear weapon.
“And he seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot because if that happened, the entire world would be hostage, and we’re not going to let that happen. That’s my only message,” Trump said, according to reports.
Pope Leo, however, has refuted the claims made by the US President, stating that if he is criticised, it should be done “truthfully”.
Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo XIV at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and the Vatican.
The visit comes after Trump made unusually sharp remarks about the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history following the Pope’s criticism of a US military operation in Iran.
Ahead of his trip, Rubio rejected suggestions that the meeting was aimed at resetting US-Vatican diplomatic ties, which have long included cooperation on humanitarian issues. However, he acknowledged that there are multiple issues to discuss.
“There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican,” Rubio said at a White House briefing on Tuesday, adding that topics could include Cuba. — With inputs from agencies
