Claim: Pope Leo XIV urged Donald Trump to find a peaceful exit from the Iran war
95%Verification of the Claim:
Reasoning:
- Pope Leo XIV (the first U.S.-born pope) made remarks on March 31, 2026, specifically addressing the U.S.-Israel war on Iran12
- The pope directly referenced President Trump, stating: "I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war. I hope that he's looking for an off-ramp"31
- An "off-ramp" is another term for a peaceful exit or exit strategy from military conflict
- The pope urged Trump and other world leaders to "come back to the table, to dialogue" and to "look for ways to reduce the amount of violence"12
- He expressed hope that Trump would find "a way to decrease the amount of violence, of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that's being created"23
- The remarks were made during Holy Week 2026 (March 31), with the pope calling for peace, especially at Easter21
The claim is accurate in substance. Pope Leo XIV did urge/encourage Trump to find a peaceful exit ("off-ramp") from the Iran war, calling for dialogue and reduction of violence rather than continued military action.
Overall validity: 95%