Pope Leo Welcomes US-Iran Deal, Hopes War Ends Soon

Pope Leo XIV. (Antara - Riccardo De Luca - Anadolu - pri)

JAKARTA - Pope Leo welcomed the careful new memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. He hopes that the initial document containing a joint agreement can really pave the way to ending the war.

Reported by Anadolu Agency from Vatican News, Wednesday, June 17, Pope Leo said there were still a number of things to be agreed upon. However, he considered that negotiations were still better than going back to war.

"Thank God, at least there is this memorandum that they will sign officially on Friday," Pope Leo said, as quoted by Vatican News.

"There are still some things that must be determined, but it is always better to do it through dialogue, through negotiations, than to return to war," he said.

The Pope hopes that the memorandum of understanding will be a way out of the war. He also called for the elimination of nuclear weapons and the resolution of economic and social problems that arise during conflicts.

He hopes the memorandum "really becomes a solution to the war, that the war really ends and we can move forward for the good of all."

On the same occasion, Pope Leo also touched on the issue of migration. He asked countries to treat refugees and migrants with respect.

According to Anadolu, the Pope said many people left their country because of violence, war, and conflict. Therefore, he considered expelling them was not a humane answer.

"Just saying, 'Let's expel them, so we can get rid of this problem,' I think is not the most Christian response," the Pope said.

"We must really respect people, look at the case, and especially treat people as human beings with respect," he said.

The Pope linked the issue of migration to the debate in Europe after the latest developments in migration policy. He encouraged governments to seek humane solutions, through dialogue and solidarity.

The United States and Iran earlier this week announced they had reached a memorandum of understanding to end the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28. According to Anadolu's report, the deal also requires Israeli forces to leave Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump said the deal had been signed and the Strait of Hormuz would be fully opened on Friday. However, Tehran said the memorandum was only scheduled to be signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.

Since March 2, Israel has carried out military operations in Lebanon. Based on the latest official data quoted by Anadolu, the operation killed and injured thousands of people and made more than one million people displaced.

Israel also still occupies a number of areas in southern Lebanon. Some of the areas have been occupied for decades, others since the 2023-2024 war. In the latest conflict, Israeli forces moved more than 10 kilometers.