Pope Leo says he has ‘no fear’ of Trump, vows to keep speaking out against Iran war

Pope Leo XIV has pushed back against criticism from US President Donald Trump, saying the Vatican’s calls for peace are rooted in the Gospel and not political positioning.

Speaking to The Associated Press aboard the papal plane, Leo said it was “not understanding what the message of the Gospel is” to compare his appeals for reconciliation with US policy on the Iran conflict.

“I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today,” he said.

The pontiff stressed he had “no fear” of the Trump administration, adding that his remarks were not directed at any individual but reflected broader concerns about what he called the “delusion of omnipotence” driving global conflicts, including the Iran war.

"I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: 'Blessed are the peacemakers,'" Leo said.

"I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that's possible"

Speaking to other reporters, he added: "I have no fear of the Trump administration."

Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticize Leo, then kept it up after deplaning, in comments on the tarmac to reporters.

"I'm not a fan of Pope Leo," he said.

He also insisted his comments were not a personal attack on Trump.

The remarks come after Trump lashed out at the pope on social media, calling him “terrible on foreign policy” and accusing him of being “very liberal.”

The US president said he was “not a fan of Pope Leo,” escalating an unusual public exchange between a sitting US leader and the Vatican.

Trump’s criticism followed the pope’s earlier warnings about escalating violence in the Iran conflict, where he suggested a “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the war.

The exchange marks a rare and highly visible disagreement between the White House and the Vatican, with both leaders framing the conflict through sharply contrasting moral and political lenses.

Separately, Pope Leo began a visit to Algeria on Monday, his first trip to the Muslim-majority country.

He arrived in Algiers at around 0900 GMT and is expected to honour victims of Algeria’s war of independence from France.