Hegseth Responds To Pope Leo’s Iran War Criticism: US Has ‘Authority’ To Fight

BreakingBusinessHegseth Responds To Pope Leo’s Iran War Criticism: US Has ‘Authority’ To FightByConor Murray,Forbes Staff. Murray is a Forbes news reporter covering entertainment trends.Follow AuthorApr 24, 2026, 10:56am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.ToplineSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to Pope Leo XIV’s frequent criticisms of the Iran war on Friday morning, telling reporters Leo is “going to do his thing” and that the United States military has “every authority necessary” to fight, amid a mounting clash between the Trump administration and the Vatican.Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addressed Pope Leo XIV's criticisms of the war in Iran on Friday. (Photo by ANNABELLE GORDON / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsHegseth, during a news conference Friday, said the Pope is “going to do his thing” and “that’s fine” after a reporter asked about Leo’s criticisms of the war in Iran and a conference of Catholic bishops suggesting the war violates the Church’s just war theory.“We know what our mission is. We know what authority we have. We're very clear about that,” Hegseth said, saying the military follows the orders of President Donald Trump and has “every authority necessary under the Constitution and under our laws” to pursue the war in Iran.Hegseth’s comments come one day after Leo offered his latest critiques of the war, telling reporters on his flight back to the Vatican from a pastoral visit to Africa “many innocent people have died” and urging all parties involved to “promote peace, remove the threat of war, and respect international law.”Leo said the negotiations to end the war are unclear, saying, “one day Iran says yes and the United States says no, and vice versa.”The war has created a “chaotic, critical situation for the global economy,” Leo said, adding, “there is also an entire population in Iran of innocent people suffering beca...