Pope Questions Modern Relevance of “Just War” Doctrine Amid Iran Conflict

(MENAFN) Pope Leo XIV has stated that the ongoing war involving the United States and Israel against Iran cannot be classified as a “just war,” arguing that the traditional framework used to judge the legitimacy of war is outdated in the context of modern military capabilities, according to reports.

The comments were made during a press interaction aboard a flight from Rome to Madrid, part of the pope’s fourth international trip since beginning his pontificate. He was responding to questions about whether the conflict in Iran could be considered a just war, particularly after remarks by JD Vance, who had referenced the concept in defense of US military actions toward Tehran, according to reports.

The pope rejected that framing outright, stating: "There is no just war there," He further explained that the philosophical foundation of the “just war” theory was developed centuries ago under conditions vastly different from today’s reality. He emphasized that earlier eras could not have anticipated the scale of destruction enabled by contemporary weapons systems, noting: “The problem is that the just war theory comes from centuries ago, from a time when people could not imagine the weapons and destructive capacities that exist today,”
The remarks come amid reported friction between the pope and Donald Trump regarding the conflict. Throughout the escalation, the pope has repeatedly urged de-escalation and criticized language he believes could intensify tensions further, according to reports.

Earlier in the year, he condemned Trump’s warning that “there will be no civilization left in Iran” as: “there will be no civilization left in Iran”

In response, Trump reportedly dismissed the pope’s positions, saying he was:
“weak and terrible on foreign policy.”

The pope rejected such criticism and reaffirmed that he would continue speaking out against armed conflict regardless of political pushback.

The exchange also drew political reactions in Italy, where officials expressed disagreement with Trump’s comments and voiced support for the pope’s stance on peace. Giorgia Meloni described the remarks directed at the pope as: “unacceptable.”

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