“His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on his X account on Monday.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump slammed Pope Leo as “weak” and posted picture of himself as Jesus healing the sick.
Trump's insult came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a "delusion of omnipotence" is fueling the US-Israeli war on Iran.
"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," the US president wrote in his post, adding, "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."
Italian politicians across the spectrum showed their solidarity with Leo. Premier Giorgia Meloni sent a message of support for his peace mission while the leader of the main opposition party, Elly Schlein, was more direct, calling Trump's attacks "extremely serious."
Later, Trump posted a picture suggesting he had saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ (AS). Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.