Rubio meets Pope Leo at the Vatican on Iran tensions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Thursday in a private conversation focused on the U.S.Iran standoff and broader international issues. A State Department official described the talks as friendly and constructive. According to the department, Rubio and the pope discussed the Middle East and other shared interests, including matters in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting came after President Donald Trump sent Rubio to deliver a clear message: Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. The Vatican said the discussions also covered war, political tensions, humanitarian concerns, and the need to pursue peace. Rubio later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state, to continue discussions on Iran and related priorities. The visit marked the Trump administration’s first engagement with the pope in nearly a year.