Speaking to pilgrims after praying the Angelus prayer March 8, the pope said that developing news from Iran and from across the Middle East has caused "deep dismay."
"Amid episodes of violence and devastation, and the widespread climate of hatred and fear, there is also the concern that the conflict may widen and that other countries in the region, including Lebanon, may once again sink into instability," he said.
According to The Associated Press, Israeli forces struck an oil storage facility in Tehran, as well as targeted assaults in southern Lebanon against commanders of the Lebanese branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Iran has continued striking U.S. allies in the Gulf, including Bahrain, where it fired missiles at a desalination plant. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi defended the attack, arguing that the "U.S. set this precedent" after it struck a desalination plant in Iran, AP reported.
The pope's concern for Lebanon came as government officials confirmed that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants resulted in the deaths of 394 people, including 83 children.
