Pope Leo XIV seeks a ceasefire as Middle East unrest worsens
By Aloys Michael, March 2, 2026The Middle East teeters on the brink after a seismic assassination sent shockwaves across the globe.
In the wake of a deadly military operation that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday, February 28, 2026, Pope Leo XIV has issued an urgent and impassioned plea for peace, warning that the region stands at a perilous crossroads.
“Stability and peace are not achieved through mutual threats, nor through the use of weapons, which sow destruction, suffering, and death, but only through reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue,” the pontiff wrote on X on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
He called instead for “reasonable, sincere, and responsible dialogue,” urging all parties to step back before the situation becomes irreversible.
“I make a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm,” the Pope warned.
His words come at a moment when tensions in the Middle East have reached a critical point, drawing widespread international concern about the possibility of a broader, more devastating conflict.
Operation Epic Fury, as the US dubbed it, and Roar of the Lion, as Israel called it, struck Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s office at the Beit Rahbari compound in central Tehran on the night of February 28 and killed him and several other key leaders on the spot.
The attack used bunker-buster munitions and targeted Iran’s political leadership, military infrastructure, and nuclear facilities simultaneously.
Over 200 people were killed and hundreds more injured across Iran, including senior IRGC commanders and members of Khamenei’s own family.
Tehran hit back hard, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Israel and US military bases across the Gulf, including sites in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
The government has ordered the immediate evacuation of Kenyans from Israel and Iran, with Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Roseline Njogu directing all nationals in affected countries to register with the nearest Kenyan embassies for emergency support.
The advisory follows a reported missile strike near the Kenyan Embassy in Tel Aviv, prompting officials to reaffirm the protection of diplomatic missions under international law. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi called on all parties to embrace dialogue and utilise mechanisms under the United Nations Charter to de-escalate the crisis.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV appealed for diplomacy to regain its central role in global affairs, urging protection for civilians caught in the conflict and asking Christians worldwide to pray for peace in other war-affected regions, including Ukraine, Gaza and Pakistan.