India, May 7 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican's Apostolic Palace, where he spent two and a half hours holding talks with the pontiff and the senior figures, including Cardinal Pietro Paroline. The visit came amid escalating tensions between Pope Leo and US President Donald Trump. While the details of the Rubio-Pope meeting are yet to emerge, multiple sources say that the US Secretary of State discussed "efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East" in talks at the Vatican.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to discuss the situation in the Middle East and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/vjl1J1RWYu

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