Veria - Claim Fact Check

85%

Based on my research, here is my fact-check analysis of the claim that Pope Leo XIV stated that children are among the rising deaths in the Iran war.

Reasoning:

Pope Leo XIV has made multiple statements lamenting the deaths of children in the Iran war. On March 11, 2026, during his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square, he said: "Let us continue to pray for peace in Iran, and throughout the Middle East, especially for the many civilian victims, including many innocent children"¹
UNICEF reported that more than 1,100 children were injured or killed in the conflict, with 200 reportedly killed in Iran, 91 in Lebanon, 4 in Israel, and 1 in Kuwait²
The Pope specifically stated that "violence is getting worse" and noted "hatred is on the rise" during his March 24 remarks about the war³
However, I did not find the Pope using the exact phrase "rising deaths" in connection with children specifically. He lamented the death of children and noted that violence was intensifying, but the wording in the claim appears to be a paraphrase or slight mischaracterization of his actual statements
The substance of the claim is accurate—Pope Leo XIV has indeed spoken about children being among the victims as the Iran war continues and casualties mount

Overall validity: 85%