Pope Leo XIV welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran during his General Audience on June 17, 2026. Following his catechesis, the Pope expressed confidence that the negotiations underway would help advance stable peace in the Middle East.Speaking in Italian, he said, “I hope that this agreement can contribute to strengthening mutual trust, security and stability in the Middle East, promoting paths of dialogue and cooperation between the peoples.”
The Pope also praised the patient work and diplomacy behind the deal, thanking the countries that helped facilitate talks between Washington and Tehran.According to the reported terms, US President Donald Trump expects the agreement to be finalized within a 60-day timeframe. The signing is scheduled for this Friday at the Swiss resort of Bürgenstock.
After the document is signed, the US and Iran will begin further negotiations aimed at a definitive peace agreement within two months. This is not the first time Pope Leo XIV has commented on the talks. On Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo, he told reporters that the memorandum was encouraging and that dialogue was always better than war. “Thank God, at least there is this memorandum which, they say, they will officially sign on Friday… So I hope that this is truly a solution, that the war has really ended, and that we can move forward for the good of all,” he said. He reiterated his long-standing call for the elimination of nuclear weapons.In the same audience, the Pope also addressed the war in Ukraine. He lamented the “painful news” that continues to come from the conflict, which he said “continues to spread” four years after Russia’s invasion.
Citing the Russian missile attack on Kyiv on the night of July 14-15, he noted that at least 11 people were killed and that the fire devastated the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. “So many innocent victims, rescuers killed, churches and cultural heritage sites devastated by flames,” the Pope said, expressing closeness to those mourning and to those serving amid violence. He concluded by inviting everyone to pray for an end to the war and for the Lord to “open paths to dialogue, to extinguish hatred, and to make a just and lasting peace possible.”