Trump on pope’s call for Iran ceasefire: ‘We’re not looking to do that’

President Donald Trump says the White House is “not looking” to enact a ceasefire in the ongoing Iranian war after Pope Leo XIV called for dialogue instead of conflict there.

EWTN News White House Correspondent Owen Jensen asked the president about the Holy Father’s March 15 calls for a ceasefire in the latest Middle East war. Leo had urged “those responsible for this conflict” to “let the fire cease and let paths of dialogue be reopened.”

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“We can have dialogue, but I don’t want to do a ceasefire,” the Republican president responded.

“I don’t want to do a ceasefire.” – President Trump was asked what he had to say to Pope Leo, who has recently called for a ceasefire in the Middle East. The US President said he was open to dialogue but “you don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other… pic.twitter.com/LlRi3mpyCM

— EWTN News Nightly (@EWTNNewsNightly) March 20, 2026

“You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side,” Trump continued.

“[Iran doesn’t] have a navy, they don’t have an air force, they don’t have any equipment, they don’t have any spotters, they don’t have anti-aircraft, they don’t have radar, and their leaders have all been killed at every level,” the president said.

“We’re not looking to do [a ceasefire],” he added.

The conflict in Iran broke out on Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against the Middle Eastern country. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the protracted barrage, along with multiple other top-ranking Iranian officials.

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Iran has responded by launching strikes against U.S. and Israeli bases. The conflict upended Catholic pilgrimages in the region and sent Catholics scrambling to evacuate the war zone.

Speaking to MS Now on March 20, Trump indicated that the U.S. intended to continue the conflict in Iran to ensure the country could “never rebuild” after the war.

“If we left right now, it would take them at least 10 years to rebuild, but rebuild they will,” Trump told the news network.

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