Castel Gandolfo, April 1 -- Pope Leo XIV has called on US President Donald Trump to identify an "off-ramp" to terminate the US-Israel conflict with Iran, marking a rare and direct plea from the pontiff to the White House to halt the widening regional war.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the American-born Pope referenced the President's recent public remarks regarding the trajectory of the mission.

"I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war," Leo XIV stated, making history as the first pope from the US.

The Holy Father's appeal comes amidst escalating tensions and significant military developments in the Middle East. He expressed a desire f...