Pope Leo XIV has called for a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict.
His plea came as Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks and the death toll across the region mounts.
Speaking after the Sunday Angelus prayer in Vatican City, Pope Leo stressed, “On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict: cease fire.”
The American Pontiff said that people in the region have been “suffering the horrific violence of war” for the past two weeks since the conflict broke out.
“Thousands of innocent people have been killed and many more forced to flee their homes. I once again offer my prayers to all those who have lost loved ones in the attacks that have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas.”
Pope Leo XIV
Leo added that “violence can never lead to the justice, stability and peace that the people are waiting for.”
The conflict in the Middle East has now entered its third week, and it shows no sign of abating.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said today that the Israeli military is planning at least three more weeks of its campaign against Iran.
“We have thousand of targets ahead. We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.”
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin
According to the IDF, since the start of the Iran campaign on February 28, the Israeli Air Force has carried out roughly 400 waves of strikes in western and central Iran, focusing on dismantling infrastructure and targeting operatives of the fire, defense, and production units.
Israeli officials say that US and Israel have already struck thousands of targets since the war began.
Defrin told a news agency that the IDF is “not working according to a stopwatch, or a timetable, but rather to achieve our goals” which are to “weaken the Iranian regime severely.”
He said that the massive US-Israeli offensive against Iran pushed Hezbollah in Lebanon to join the conflict, unlike their decision to stay out during the 12-day war last summer.
“In June, they understood that it’s a limited campaign in Iran, so they didn’t attack. Now that it’s all out, they join in.”
Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin
Israel’s military operations in Lebanon could continue beyond an end to the war in Iran, according to Israeli officials. The IDF is sending more troops to its northern border in an attempt to seize territory and push Hezbollah back.
Iran’s Cultural Sites Destroyed
Meanwhile, Iran said today that at least 56 of its museums, historic buildings and cultural sites have so far been damaged by US-Israeli strikes.
According to Iranian state news agency IRNA, the country’s Ministry of cultural heritage “strongly condemned” the claimed attacks, which are said to have disproportionately impacted the province of Tehran.
At least 19 cultural locations in Tehran province have been damaged, IRNA said, citing the ministry. These are reported to include the historic Tehran Bazaar, Sepahsalar Mosque, Marble Palace and the Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Damage has also been reported at several other historic sites across Iran, including at Naqsh-e Jahan Square in the central city of Esfahan – another UNESCO World Heritage Site, IRNA reported. UNESCO warned earlier this month about risks to heritage sites across Iran amid the spiraling regional violence.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the attacks on museums and historical sites “constitute an assault on part of Iran’s civilizational identity and on cultural property protected under international law.”
“Damage to dozens of historical and cultural sites during the U.S.-Israeli attacks shows that the scope of this aggression has extended to cultural heritage as well.
“This situation is a clear manifestation of the systematic violation of international law in its various dimensions by the US regime and the Israeli regime.”
Kazem Gharibabadi
Nonetheless, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf mocked President Donald Trump’s claims to have “defeated” Iran. Responding to a X post about Trump, Ghalibaf said that the US President “has claimed he ‘defeated’ us 9 times in the last two weeks. Hilarious!”
It is not clear which nine comments Ghalibaf is referring to, but Trump has claimed the US is winning the war with Iran on several occasions.
Yesterday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the US has “beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way.”
He said in another social media post on Friday that Iran is “totally defeated and wants a deal – But not a deal that I would accept!”
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