Trump Escalates Feud With Pope Leo Over Iran Protest Toll

The outlier death count puts fresh strain on his standoff with the Vatican.

Overview

In a new Truth Social post, President Trump told Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 unarmed protesters in two months and said a nuclear bomb for Iran is unacceptable.
That figure exceeds published estimates, which outlets have reported between 7,000 and 37,000 deaths in recent months.
Vice President JD Vance urged caution from the pope on theology and policy, saying the pontiff should be careful when speaking on such matters.
The latest message followed days of personal attacks, including Trump calling the pope “WEAK” and sharing an AI image of himself in a Jesus-like role that he later deleted.
Pope Leo has pressed for peace in Iran, tweeting that “God does not bless any conflict,” as he continues to criticize the U.S.-Israel military campaign there.