Between diplomacy and war, disinformation amplifies global tensions

Viral posts distort statements by Pope Leo XIV amid tensions between states and international organizations.

During an interview on April 7, Pope Leo XIV said that the “threat against the entire Iranian people” is “truly unacceptable” in a context of growing international tension in which his statements were quickly reinterpreted and used in the political dispute. Meanwhile, accusations circulated from the United States that he had called for Congress to be convened to demand the removal of Donald Trump.

However, both CNN and Chequeado maintained that the latter claim is false, since the pope at no point mentioned the U.S. president or called for his removal. In this context, disinformation not only distorts statements but also fuels political escalation between international actors.

Far from being resolved, the conflict escalated, and President Trump criticized the pontiff on Truth Social, saying that “Pope Leo is weak on crime and harmful to foreign policy. I don’t want a pope who thinks it’s acceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Leo XIV has spoken out against the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran, though always in a diplomatic tone, calling for an end to the conflict and without endorsing Iran having nuclear weapons. Many critics of the war have argued that diplomacy is the best way to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing such weapons.

During the aforementioned interview, the Pope said that from the very first days all parties should have returned to dialogue and that it was necessary to resolve the problems without reaching the point of deepening the war

Leo XIV has spoken out against war since the start of his papacy. In June 2025, one month after being elected, he said the situation between Israel and Iran had seriously deteriorated and called for responsibility and reason. “The commitment to building a safer world, free from the nuclear threat, must be sustained through sincere and respectful dialogue, allowing progress toward a lasting peace based on justice, fraternity and the common good,” he said.

On another occasion, the pontiff stated that “the Church is heartbroken at the cry of pain rising from places devastated by war, especially Ukraine, Iran, Israel and Gaza,” and warned that the world must never grow accustomed to wars but must instead “reject the temptation to resort to powerful and sophisticated weapons.”

For his part, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance doubled down on Donald Trump’s dispute with Pope Leo XIV and justified the U.S. attacks on Iran by asking, «Was God not on the side of the Americans when they liberated France from the Nazis?». Without a doubt, I think the answer is yes», he said. 

In another particularly firm intervention following Donald Trump’s recent attacks on social media, Pope Leo XIV warned that today’s world is «being devastated by a handful of tyrants».

In turn, the American pope firmly rejected leaders using religious language to justify wars. He said this in Bamenda, Cameroon, a place hit by the «Anglophone crisis» that has lasted nearly 10 years, where he also urged the international community to make a decisive change of course against these “tyrants.”

Tensions spread to European allies

One of the reactions in support of Pope Leo XIV came from the President of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, who described as unacceptable the words of President Donald Trump, who had said the pontiff was weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera asked Trump about Meloni’s remarks, and he said that she was the one who was unacceptable for not caring whether Iran has a nuclear weapon that could reach Italy in two minutes if it had the chance. He also accused Meloni of not cooperating with the United States and of “expecting us to do the work for her.” 
Donald Trump said he had thought Meloni was brave and that he was wrong, adding that Italy did not want to help them with NATO or with the situation in Iran. “She simply says Italy doesn’t want to take part, even though it depends on the region for energy and the United States is a central ally for Italy,”

On the deepening conflict in the Middle East, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that disregard for international norms has devastating consequences, including chaos, suffering and destruction, and stressed that international law is not optional but rather the necessary foundation for a diplomatic way out of the crisis.

Guterres stated with concern that in a world moving toward greater fragmentation, international law becomes indispensable. «Without it, instability spreads, mistrust deepens and conflicts spiral out of control», he added, in a scenario where the struggle between diplomacy, war and disinformation is redefining international relations

Guillermo Whpei

President of Fundación para la Democracia