Speaking after the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father stated that “regrettably, the winds of war are blowing once again in the Middle East.”

The Bishop of Rome called upon believers and people of good will worldwide, urging: “Let us not allow these winds to extinguish the flame of hope and peace, even when it seems fragile and wavering.”

The Supreme Pontiff expressed concern regarding the escalating hostilities after the United States launched new airstrikes today against various areas in Iran—marking what is considered the third wave of attacks in less than a week.

The strikes targeted approximately 140 locations within Iranian territory, as confirmed in a statement by the US Central Command.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, declared that “the era of unilateral agreements is over,” while the country’s Revolutionary Guard announced retaliatory strikes against various US military bases and facilities in the region.

During his first Angelus prayer of the current summer stay at Castel Gandolfo, the leader of the Catholic Church also addressed the worsening conflict in Ukraine following intense fighting in recent days in Kharkiv, Dnipro, Kyiv, and Odesa, according to a report published on the *Vatican News* website.

“I renew my hope that the path of dialogue, encounter, and diplomacy will be pursued with perseverance—the only path capable of leading to a just and lasting peace, in which peoples can live reconciled, in mutual security, and with respect for the dignity of every person,” Pope Leo XIV stated this Sunday.

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