Sri Lanka, April 1 -- Pope Leo urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to look for an "off-ramp" to end the Iran war, in a rare direct appeal from the pontiff as the regional conflict expands.

"I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war," said Leo, the first pope from the United ⁠States.

"Hopefully he's looking for an off-ramp," the pope told journalists outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. "Hopefully he's looking for a way to decrease the amount of violence."

Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, rarely makes direct appeals to national leaders but he has been stepping up criticism of the Iran war in recent weeks.

On Sunday, in unusually forceful remarks...