Pope Leo XIV urged those “who have weapons” to “lay them down” in his first-ever Easter Sunday address – just as Donald Trump vowed to unleash hell on Iran should it not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“Let those who hold weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to start wars choose peace! Not a peace pursued by force, but by dialogue! Not by the desire to dominate the other, but to encounter him,” the Pope said in his Easter message.

The Easter Mass was the first celebrated by Pope Leo’s. “Death is always lurking. We see it present in injustice, in partisan selfishness, in the oppression of the poor, in the lack of attention to the most vulnerable,” the Pope said in his Easter homily.

In his message, followed by the Urbi et Orbi blessing (‘to the city and the world’), Pope Leo spoke of a “globalisation of indifference”, including to the “deaths of thousands of people”, the “repercussions of hatred,” and the “social and economic repercussions” of wars.

The Pope also sannounced a prayer for peace next Saturday (April 11). He did not mention any specific conflict in his message, but his words arrived just when U.S. President Donald Trump sent another threat to Iran.

Taking on Truth Social, Mr Trump demanded once again for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened and wrote: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!”

This message is believed to be linked to a 48-hour deadline he set on Saturday asking for the strait to be reopened. Before his foul-mouthed message, Mr Trump provided an update on the successful rescue operation carried out by the US military which rescued the pilot of an aircraft downed by Iran.

“We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran.

“The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment’. It just doesn’t happen! The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all,” he said.

The missing crew member was on board a F-15 jet, which was shot down on Friday by Iranian forces. One service member was rescued within a few hours of the incident, while a search operation for the second continued throughout Friday and Saturday. It was then confirmed that the missing crew member has been located and rescued.