Azernews.Az

Pope Leo XIV expressed his "deep concern" over the situation in Iran and the escalation of tensions across the Middle East region after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Tehran, provoking a fierce response by the Iranian forces, AzerNEWS reports.

The pope called for an end to "the spiral of violence" and urged world leaders to pursue diplomacy and restraint.

"Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war, before it becomes an irreparable abyss," he added.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with top security officials, have reportedly been killed due to ongoing attacks by the US and Israel. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed to seek revenge and claims to have launched attacks on 27 bases housing US troops in the Middle East, as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv. Explosions have been reported in Qatar and the UAE.

US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that if it retaliates “very hard today,” it will face a response “with a force that has never been seen before.”

In response to the turmoil, Iran’s government announced that an interim council, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, will oversee the country until a new supreme leader is elected. Iranian state media reports indicate that at least 201 people have been killed in the attacks across 24 provinces.

Iran's retaliatory strikes have targeted US and Israeli assets in various Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Oman.

Due to the ongoing exchange of attacks, several countries in the region have closed their airspace.