Pentagon denies pressuring Vatican over pope's Iran remarks

The Pentagon and the Vatican denied reports that a US official berated Vatican envoy Cardinal Christophe Pierre in January over Pope Leo XIV’s criticism of US policy on Iran, saying the meeting with Elbridge Colby was respectful and cordial. The pope’s comments on Iran and US diplomacy remain a point of tension, and gossip of a potential papal visit to the U.S. in 2026 was disputed, with the Vatican noting the pope will not go to the United States that year; he is scheduled to visit Lampedusa on July 4.