Iran calls on Vatican for urgent action to end Gaza conflict

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with senior Vatican officials in Rome to urge immediate international measures to halt the ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip and to ensure humanitarian assistance reaches the besieged enclave.

Araghchi, who was in Rome to participate in the fifth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States, held talks on May 23 with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Caliber.Az reports via Iranian media.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Foreign Minister, also attended the meeting.

During the encounter, Araghchi expressed his condolences regarding the death of Pope Francis and extended congratulations on the election of Pope Leo.

He elaborated Iran’s position regarding the peaceful use of nuclear energy and briefed the Vatican officials on the ongoing indirect talks between Tehran and Washington.

Araghchi highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, stating the “catastrophic situation” and referencing “the escalating mass killings in the Gaza Strip.” He underscored the “legal and moral responsibility of all countries and peoples” to “condemn and oppose these crimes” and to take “urgent measures to end the war and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Further, he presented Iran’s proposed resolution to the conflict: “the establishment of a single democratic state throughout Palestine through a referendum involving all indigenous inhabitants — Muslims, Jews, and Christians.”

The meeting also covered broader issues, including the current state of bilateral relations between Iran and the Vatican, the importance of interfaith dialogue, and the promotion of peaceful dialogue in the region.

By Tamilla Hasanova