Trump Falsely Claims Pope Leo XIV Said Iran Can Have Nuclear Weapon

President Donald Trump on Thursday made a false claim about the position of Vatican leader Pope Leo XIV regarding Iran and nuclear weapons.

During an interview with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, Trump said he is not fighting with the pope but insisted that the pope had made a statement suggesting Iran can have a nuclear weapon. Collins immediately corrected him, pointing out that no such statement exists.

In reality, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly and strongly condemned nuclear weapons and has urged global leaders to move toward disarmament.

What Trump Claimed vs What the Pope Actually Said

Trump stated:

“The pope made a statement. He says, Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

However, there is no record of Pope Leo saying this.

Instead, the pope has consistently spoken about:

• Ending wars through diplomacy
• Rejecting the use of powerful and destructive weapons
• Moving the world toward nuclear disarmament
• Building peace through dialogue and justice

Calling for diplomacy to stop war is not the same as supporting Iran’s right to possess nuclear weapons.

Pope Leo’s Clear Stand Against Nuclear Weapons

Since becoming pope in May 2025, Pope Leo XIV has delivered multiple statements opposing nuclear arms.

Statements from Pope Leo XIV

• In June 2025, as tensions rose between Israel and Iran, he called for a world free from nuclear threat through dialogue and responsibility.
• During the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, he said nuclear weapons cause “profound horrors” and offend shared humanity.
• In October 2025, the Vatican’s UN representative, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, called nuclear disarmament an urgent moral imperative.
• In January 2026, the pope rejected the idea of nuclear deterrence, calling it irrational.
• In February 2026, he urged the US and Russia to preserve the New START Treaty to prevent a new arms race.
• In March 2026, he posted on X urging nations to move toward effective nuclear disarmament.

These statements clearly show that Pope Leo’s position is against nuclear weapons in all forms.

From “Thinks” to “Says”: Trump’s Escalating Claims

Earlier in the week, Trump suggested the pope “thinks” it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons and later said the pope is “going to say” it. Those remarks were speculative.

But this time, Trump directly claimed the pope already said it — which is factually incorrect.

Diplomacy vs Nuclear Support: The Key Difference

Many critics of the US and Israel’s military actions against Iran argue that diplomacy is the best way to prevent nuclear escalation. This view does not mean they support Iran having nuclear weapons.

Pope Leo’s statements align with this diplomatic approach — not with nuclear endorsement.

Why This Matters

Misrepresenting the pope’s position can:

• Mislead the public about the Vatican’s stance
• Escalate political tensions unnecessarily
• Distort an important global conversation about nuclear disarmament

The factual record shows Pope Leo XIV advocates for peace, dialogue, and elimination of nuclear weapons, not their acceptance.

FAQs

This fact check shows a clear gap between Trump’s claim and Pope Leo XIV’s documented statements advocating a world free of nuclear weapons.