Iran condemns ‘insult’ to Pope after Trump shares controversial image
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned remarks by US President Donald Trump targeting Pope Leo XIV, calling them an insult and defending the pontiff’s calls for peace in West Asia.
In a post on X on Monday, Pezeshkian said, “His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.”
The statement followed backlash over an AI-generated image shared by Trump that depicted him in a Jesus Christ-like form. The post was later deleted after criticism from sections of the public, including some of his supporters.
The image surfaced shortly after Trump criticised the pope’s stance.
In his post, Trump wrote that “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,” and accused him of failing to acknowledge restrictions on religious gatherings during the COVID period. He also said, “I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Trump’s remarks came after Pope Leo warned over the weekend against what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” influencing military actions linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Speaking on Monday during his African tour, the pope said he did not view his role as political. “The message of the church, my message, the message of the gospel: blessed are the peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician,” he said.
He added that he had “no fear” of the Trump administration and would continue “speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel.”