'Tell the Pope Iran has killed 42,000 innocent people in two months': Trump sends new message to the Vatican

In a new post on his Truth Social page, President Donald J Trump sent a message to Pope Leo XIV, with whom he has been at loggerheads in recent weeks over America's ongoing conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to Trump, the Pope appears oblivious to the fact that Iran has killed 42,000 innocent people in the past two months. He also restated his position that America would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

"Will someone tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unharmed protesters in the past two months, and for Iran to have a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable..."

President Trump's message to the Pope comes amidst his ongoing rift with the Head of the Catholic Church, whom he recently accused of being soft on crime and abandoning his papal duties to focus on politics.

Pope Leo XIV, who is an American, has been critical of Trump's hardline position in America's conflict with Iran. The Pope tagged Trump's threat to "wipe out an entire civilisation" as "truly unacceptable".

The Pope, who is currently on a 10-day Apostolic visit to Africa, stated that he's not afraid of the Trump administration and insists on furthering his efforts to foster global peace.

Trump's claims that Iran has killed 42,000 innocent people stems from the Iranian government's crackdown on the thousands of protesters who turned out in the streets to demand changes amidst a worsening economic crisis.

The country's theocratic government responded by arresting thousands of protesters, carrying out mass executions, which, according to the BBC, have reached 1,639 since 2025, becoming the nation's highest since 1989.

The ongoing conflict between America and Iran has spiralled into a global crisis, especially in the energy sector, where production of crude oil and gas has been disrupted by Iran's attacks on facilities of neighbouring countries and the closure of the vital shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier in April, Trump announced a two-week ceasefire agreement with Iran after talks in Islamabad, Pakistan. The ceasefire, which was meant to give both countries time to negotiate a peace deal, now appears to be in jeopardy after America's Vice President JD Vance shared that Iran rejected the US's final offer.

President Trump's recent decision to block the Strait of Hormuz has drawn criticism from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called it a violation of international maritime law. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who accused him of "fueling global insecurity" and leading an "absurd" and "cruel" war in Iran.