Aysu Bicer
20 March 2026•Update: 20 March 2026
LONDON
A top Vatican official on Friday called for an immediate halt to the escalating conflict involving Iran, warning that the risk of a wider regional war is growing.
Speaking on Thursday at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he would urge US President Donald Trump “to stop as soon as possible, because the danger of escalation is imminent.”
He added that the same appeal “should also be addressed to the Israelis,” encouraging “peaceful solutions.”
He also called for Lebanon to be “left in peace” and stressed the need to resolve problems “through the peaceful means of diplomacy and dialogue.”
However, Parolin acknowledged there are currently no signs of de-escalation amid what he described as “dramatic events inflaming” the region.
Since Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, hostilities have escalated.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while also disrupting global markets and aviation.
The Israeli army has also escalated airstrikes across Lebanon since early March amid cross-border attacks with Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire deal that has been in place since November 2024.
According to Lebanese authorities, at least 1,001 people have been killed and 2,584 injured in Israeli strikes across Lebanon since March 2.
