Pope Leo in a Saturday vigil for peace, called out the «delusion of omnipotence» he claimed is fueling war.

«In prayer, our limited human possibilities are joined to the infinite possibilities of God. Thoughts, words and deeds then break the demonic cycle of evil and are placed at the service of the Kingdom of God,» he said in a prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica.

He continued, «A Kingdom in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit, but only dignity, understanding and forgiveness. It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.»

In posts on X and during the prayer vigil, the pontiff also warned that war «divides» while hope and faith unite humanity.

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«Enough of the idolatry of self and money. Enough of the display of power. Enough of war,» he wrote. «True strength is shown in serving life.»

The archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those in the pews.

Leo’s words came on the same day the Vice President JD Vance and a U.S. delegation began face-to-face talks with Iran amid an uneasy ceasefire.

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They were some of the first American pontiff’s strongest words yet after he called President Donald Trump’s threat against Iran on Tuesday «truly unacceptable.»  

«Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable,» the pope said earlier this week. «There are certainly issues of international law here, but even more so a moral issue for the good of the whole entire population.»

Pope Leo XIV speaks to the media on the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, as he leaves the papal residence to head back to the Vatican, April 7, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)

Trump had written on Truth Social «A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will… God Bless the Great People of Iran!»

Hours later, the president announced a two-week ceasefire subject to Iran agreeing to «the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz,» the president wrote in another post.

As the high-stakes talks began on Saturday is Islamabad, Trump told reporters outside of the White House: «We win regardless of what happens. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don’t.»

Islamabad host peace talks between Iran and the U.S. on Saturday. (Farooq Naeem / AFP via Getty Images)

For more than a month, the pope limited his remarks to muted appeals for peace, but in his Easter blessing last Sunday, he urged «those with weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.»

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Leo also invoked what he said were the final words that Pope Francis issued to the world from the same balcony one year ago, during which the late pontiff warned of a «globalization of indifference.»

«What a great thirst for death, for killing we witness each day in the many conflicts raging in different parts of the world,» Leo said, quoting Francis.

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vice President JD Vance said Sunday that high-stakes talks between the U.S. and Iran ended without a deal after Iranian officials refused to accept American terms.

Speaking during a press conference from the Serena Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, Vance said Iran has «chosen not to accept our terms.»

«The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,» Vance said. «And I think that’s bad news for Iran much more than it’s bad news for the United States of America.»

The vice president said talks with Iranian officials lasted 21 hours, describing them as «substantive discussions,» but adding the U.S. was unwilling to compromise on its «red lines.»

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«So we go back to the United States, having not come to an agreement. We’ve made very clear what our red lines are, what things we’re willing to accommodate them on and what things we’re not willing to accommodate them on,» Vance added. «And we’ve made that as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms.»

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell asked Vance if he had been in contact with President Donald Trump during the talks, and the vice president said he had been «consistently.»

«I don’t know how many times we talked to him — a half dozen times, a dozen times over the past 21 hours,» Vance said, adding that the U.S. team was also communicating with other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

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Vice President JD Vance walks with Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, U.S. Embassy Charge d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker, and Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/Reuters)

«So, look, we were constantly in communication with the team because we were negotiating in good faith,» Vance said. «And we leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We’ll see if the Iranians accept it.»

Vance arrived in Pakistan early Saturday to lead high-stakes negotiations with Iran aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire announced by Trump earlier this week and preventing a broader regional war.

Vance was joined by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, as part of a senior delegation engaging Iranian officials in Islamabad.

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Vice President JD Vance spoke to reporters before boarding Air Force Two at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport on April 8, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary. The White House said Vance would lead the U.S. delegation in upcoming peace talks with Iran and was in Hungary supporting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf were negotiating for Iran. 

While Vance declined to elaborate on which terms Iran rejected, he said the U.S. sought assurances that Iran would not develop a nuclear weapon.

«The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,» Vance said. «That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And that’s what we’ve tried to achieve through these negotiations.»

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The talks came over a month after the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28.

Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

El vicepresidente de Estados Unidos, JD Vance, anunció este domingo desde Islambad que la delegación estadounidense no alcanzó un acuerdo con el régimen de Irán tras 21 horas de negociaciones, por lo que se vuelve a Washington junto al resto del equipo negociador norteamericano.

“Ellos han elegido no aceptar nuestros términos”, afirmó durante una conferencia de prensa desde la capital pakistaní.

“Regresamos a Estados Unidos sin haber logrado alcanzar un acuerdo (…) Nos vamos de aquí con una propuesta muy simple, un enfoque que constituye nuestra oferta final y mejor. Veremos si los iraníes la aceptan”, declaró Vance, tras lamentar la ausencia de un “compromiso firme” iraní de renunciar a las armas nucleares.

“El principal objetivo es buscar que no alcancen un arma nuclear”, sostuvo el vicepresidente norteamericano, al tiempo que aseveró que las instalaciones de enriquecimiento del régimen persa “fueron destruidas”, pero aclaró: “La pregunta es: ¿vemos un compromiso de no desarrollar un arma nuclea por un largo termino?”, agregó.

En su discurso, Vance también enalteció la labor del primer ministro de Pakistán para facilitar un acuerdo de paz entre las partes.

Antes de la conferencia, el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump sostuvo que le daba “igual” si Estados Unidos e Irán alcanzaban un entendimiento hacia la paz: “Si llegamos o no a un acuerdo, me da igual. La razón es porque hemos ganado“.

”Estamos en negociaciones muy profundas con Irán. Ganamos de cualquier manera. Los hemos derrotado militarmente”, sostuvo el mandatario frente a periodistas.

Por su parte, el régimen iraní, previo a la conferencia de Vance, había advertido que el éxito de las conversaciones de paz dependía de que Washington evitara “excesivas demandas” y “peticiones ilegales”.

“El éxito de este proceso diplomático depende de la seriedad y la buena fe de la parte contraria, de abstenerse de excesivas demandas y peticiones ilegales, y de la aceptación de los derechos e intereses legítimos de Irán”, escribió Esmaeil Baqaei, portavoz del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores iraní, en X.

Las negociaciones entre Washington y Teherán, con mediación de Pakistán, quedaron marcadas por la extensión inusual de las sesiones, que superaron las 20 horas durante la jornada del sábado.

Las conversaciones se desarrollaron en Islamabad bajo medidas de seguridad extremas. El escenario fue un hotel exclusivo, sede de estas discusiones que representaron un cambio histórico: fue la primera vez desde 1979 que ambos países mantuvieron un intercambio directo de alto nivel, dejando de lado la intermediación habitual de terceros.

Las recientes amenazas militares del régimen iraní, junto a la escalada de los precios energéticos, colocaron a la región en estado de alerta. Las diferencias en materia de seguridad y economía han impedido que las partes alcancen avances sustanciales tras largas horas de debate.

Por parte de Estados Unidos, JD Vance estuvo acompañado de Steve Witkoff y Jared Kushner. Irán, en tanto, participó con una delegación liderada por el presidente del Parlamento, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, y el canciller Abbas Araghchi. La presencia de figuras políticas de primer nivel reflejó la gravedad del momento y la apuesta de ambos gobiernos por evitar un deterioro aún mayor.

En el centro de la agenda, Irán exigió el desbloqueo de activos sancionados y el fin de la ofensiva israelí contra Hezbollah en Líbano como condiciones para alcanzar un acuerdo. Las autoridades iraníes subrayaron la relevancia de la presencia del vicepresidente estadounidense, JD Vance, tanto por su rango como por su previa oposición a la guerra, considerándolo un gesto de seriedad en el proceso. Por su parte, Estados Unidos mantuvo la presión económica y militar e insistió en dejar fuera de las discusiones en Islamabad el tema libanés.

La presencia estadounidense en la región se reforzó el fin de semana con el envío de dos buques de guerra especializados en desminado al estrecho de Ormuz. Washington afirmó que la misión tiene como objetivo garantizar un “paso seguro” a los petroleros, fundamentales para “un quinto del comercio mundial de crudo”.

Donald Trump declaró que Washington mantendrá abierto el canal por la necesidad de proteger a sus aliados internacionales. Además, afirmó que le daba “igual” el resultado de las negociaciones en Islamabad.

Sin embargo, el mando naval de la Guardia Revolucionaria rechazó que embarcaciones estadounidenses hayan ingresado en el canal estratégico y advirtió que “cualquier intento de buques militares de cruzar el estrecho será respondido con firmeza”.