United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived at the Vatican for a high-level meeting with Pope Leo XIV, amid growing tensions between the pontiff and President Donald Trump over the conflict involving Iran.

Diplomatic meeting at the Vatican
The private meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo is expected to last around half an hour, after which the US secretary of state will hold further talks with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

According to Vatican officials, the meeting was requested by the United States. Cardinal Parolin said the pope would carefully listen to Rubio’s position during the discussions.

Strained relations between Trump and the Vatican
Relations between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo have become increasingly tense in recent months. The disagreements intensified after the pope publicly criticised the US-Israel war on Iran and repeatedly called for peace and diplomacy.

Trump recently accused the pope of undermining Catholics by opposing the conflict and claimed the pontiff supported Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Pope Leo strongly rejected the accusation and reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons.

Pope Leo’s stance on peace
The pope has repeatedly emphasised that the Church’s mission is to promote peace and oppose violence. He stated that the Catholic Church has consistently spoken against nuclear arms and supports diplomatic solutions to global conflicts.

Possible difficult discussions
US ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch indicated that the meeting between Rubio and the pope could involve direct and frank discussions due to the current tensions.

Cardinal Parolin also described Trump’s recent attacks on the pope as unusual, though he avoided making personal judgments about the US president.

Broader diplomatic agenda
Rubio is also expected to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit. Meloni has publicly defended Pope Leo against criticism from Trump and other political figures.

Pope Leo’s growing international role
Since becoming the first American pope, Leo has taken an increasingly active role on global political and humanitarian issues. During recent international visits, he warned about rising authoritarianism and global instability, while continuing to advocate for peace and dialogue.

The Vatican meeting comes as Pope Leo approaches his first anniversary as leader of the Catholic Church, which has more than 1.4 billion followers worldwide.