Trump says he asked Rubio to deliver message to Pope Leo XIV on Iran

US President Donald Trump has said he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to convey a message to Pope Leo XIV during recent high-level discussions at the Vatican, amid rising diplomatic tensions involving Washington and the Holy See.

Speaking to reporters while inspecting renovations to the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool, Trump was asked whether he had any message for Rubio to pass on to the pontiff during their meeting, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“I just said, tell the pope very nicely, very respectfully, that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

“Also tell the pope that Iran killed 42,000 innocent protesters who didn’t have guns, who didn’t have weapons. Tell that to the pope.”

The comments came after Rubio met Pope Leo XIV on May 7 in what marked the first meeting between the pontiff and a member of Trump’s cabinet in nearly a year. The talks took place amid what observers have described as unusually strained relations between the Trump administration and the Vatican.

Tensions have escalated following repeated criticism by Trump of the pope’s public remarks on the conflict involving Iran, which erupted on February 28. The U.S. president has also made unsubstantiated claims regarding the pope’s position on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

By Sabina Mammadli