Iranian foreign minister claims Trump launched war ‘because it is fun’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi claimed on Sunday, on “Face the Nation,” that President Donald Trump launched attacks against Iran “because it is fun,” accusing the United States of starting what he called an “illegal war” during an interview with CBS host Margaret Brennan.

“We are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes,” Aragchi said. “There are people being killed only because President Trump wants to have fun… they are sinking ships and targeting different places because it is fun.”

The comments came as the war between the United States and Iran continues to escalate, with the Trump administration signaling the conflict could continue longer than initially anticipated. 

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Trump told Fox News Radio that he will ultimately know when the conflict is nearing its end, saying he’ll recognize that moment “when I feel it in my bones.”

The White House did not respond for comment from Fox News Digital.

During the CBS interview, Brennan pressed the foreign minister about Iranian drone and missile attacks across the Gulf region and their impact on neighboring countries that host U.S. military forces.

Aragchi defended Iran’s actions, claiming Tehran is targeting only American military assets that host U.S. military forces.

“We are only targeting American assets, American installations, American military bases,” Aragchi said. “They are using their soil to attack us… they use the territory of UAE to attack us.”

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Brennan challenged him, noting reports that Iranian drones and missiles have struck civilian areas in neighboring countries. Aragchi denied that civilians were being targeted.

The foreign minister also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway by which roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through. Aragchi said Iran has not formally closed the strait but acknowledged that some vessels have avoided the route because of security concerns tied to the conflict.

He also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, referencing roughly 440 kilograms of enriched uranium previously documented by international inspectors. He said the material is currently buried under rubble following strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“They are under rubble,” Aragchi said, “Of course, you know there is the possibility to retrieve them, but under the supervision of the agency.”

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The foreign minister also acknowledged that Tehran previously offered to dilute its stockpile.

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Pope Leo urges war leaders to halt fighting after deadly strike on school sparks outrage

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in the war involving Iran, delivering his strongest remarks yet on the conflict and urging leaders responsible for the fighting to halt violence after deadly strikes that hit schools and civilian areas.

The Associated Press reported the pope made the remarks at the end of his Sunday noon blessing at the Vatican, where he appealed to leaders involved in the conflict to halt the fighting and pursue dialogue instead of continued military escalation.

“On behalf of the Christians of the Middle East and all women and men of good will, I appeal to those responsible for this conflict,” Leo said. “Cease fire so that avenues for dialogue may be reopened. Violence can never lead to the justice, stability, and peace that the people are waiting for.”

Leo did not cite the U.S. or Israel by name, though he appeared to reference an attack in the opening days of the war that struck a school in Iran and killed more than 165 people, many of them children.

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U.S. officials said the strike may have been based on outdated intelligence, and an investigation into the incident is underway.

The pope said he was particularly close to the families of victims killed in attacks that have struck schools, hospitals and residential areas during the conflict.

He also expressed concern about the impact of the fighting in Lebanon, where aid groups have warned the escalating conflict could trigger a humanitarian crisis.

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Christian communities in southern Lebanon are of particular concern to the Vatican, as they have long been seen as an important presence for Christians across a largely Muslim region.

For much of the two weeks since the conflict began, Leo has limited his public comments to broader appeals for peace and dialogue while avoiding direct references to the U.S. or Israel – a stance consistent with the Vatican’s longstanding tradition of diplomatic neutrality.

Some Catholic leaders, however, have taken a more direct stance on the conflict.

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Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, described the war as morally unjustifiable, while Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich criticized the White House for sharing social media posts about the war that included video game-style imagery.

Meanwhile, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin rejected Washington’s characterization of the fighting as a “preventive war,” but said the Holy See continues to keep lines of communication open with all sides.

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“The Holy See speaks with everyone,” Parolin said. “When necessary we speak also with the Americans, with the Israelis and show them what to us are the solutions.”