President Donald Trump has directed fresh criticism at Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of "endangering a lot of Catholics" over his stance on Iran's nuclear program. Trump claimed the Pope "thinks it's fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

The remarks come two days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to ease diplomatic tensions that have emerged between the Trump administration and the Vatican.

The current dispute stems from previous criticism Trump directed at the Chicago-born pontiff over the Pope's condemnation of U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran. This marks an escalation in tensions between the White House and Vatican leadership.

Rubio's upcoming Vatican visit represents an effort by the State Department to manage the diplomatic fallout from Trump's public statements about the Pope. The meeting will take place amid broader Middle East tensions involving Iran's nuclear program and ongoing regional conflicts.

The clash highlights growing diplomatic challenges between the Trump administration and traditional U.S. allies and partners over Middle East policy, particularly regarding Iran and the broader regional crisis.