United States President Donald Trump has once again attacked Pope Leo, accusing him of endangering Catholics by not opposing Iran's possession of nuclear weapons. The president believes the religious leader is being too lenient with Tehran, while the Vatican defends dialogue and denuclearization as a viable path.
The technical dilemma of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East ☢️
From a technical standpoint, Iran's possession of nuclear weapons would imply a shift in the regional balance. Uranium enrichment at 60% already allows a qualitative leap toward the 90% needed for a nuclear device. A missile with an Iranian atomic warhead would alter the current deterrence, where Israel maintains the only undeclared nuclear capability in the region. Anti-missile defense systems such as David's Sling or THAAD would see their effectiveness reduced in the face of a coordinated attack.
Trump, the Pope, and the missile that nobody knows where it lands 🚀
The scene is worthy of a geopolitical soap opera: Trump accuses the Pope of playing with nuclear fire while he himself tweets threats of fire and fury. Perhaps next we'll see the pontiff blessing an intercontinental ballistic missile or Trump demanding the Vatican install an anti-missile shield at St. Peter's Basilica. Meanwhile, Iranian Catholics, few but devout, pray that no one presses the red button.