Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Iran and Israel Reach Ceasefire After 12-Day Conflict, Pope Urges Diplomacy

He warned that Gaza’s humanitarian crisis demands immediate diplomatic action under international law.

Image
Pope Leo XIV attends a meditation inside St. Peter's Basilica during the Jubilee of Bishops, at the Vatican, June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File photo
Pope Leo XIV holds a general audience in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, June 25, 2025. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JUNE 21: (EDITOR NOTE: STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY - NO MERCHANDISING). Pope Leo XIV meets with political leaders during the Jubilee of Governments at the Apostolic Palace on June 21, 2025 in Vatican City, Vatican. Greeting the members of the delegations coming from 68 different countries, Pope Leo said politics has rightly been defined as “the highest form of charity.” (Photo by Francesco Sforza - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Following Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites and the US bombing of covert enrichment facilities, President Trump announced a complete ceasefire after twelve days of fighting.
  • Pope Leo XIV appealed for both nations to renounce revenge and pursue negotiations rooted in international law to secure lasting peace.
  • He lamented the unprecedented "diabolical intensity" of Middle East conflicts and decried the prevailing logic of coercive power over legal norms.
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency accused Iran of maintaining covert uranium enrichment sites in defiance of UN inspections.
  • Gaza continues to endure severe humanitarian devastation, with over 56,000 killed and mass displacement prompting calls for accountability over alleged war crimes.