Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned U.S. President Donald Trump over an artificial intelligence-generated image portraying himself as Jesus Christ, describing it as a “desecration” and expressing solidarity with Pope Leo XIV, whom Trump also attacked.
Pezeshkian made his position known in a post addressed to the Pope on X on Monday, reacting to the controversial image shared by Trump on his Truth Social platform.
“Your Excellency Pope Leo XIV, on behalf of the great nation of Iran, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency and declare that the desecration of Jesus, peace be upon him, the Prophet of peace and brotherhood, is unacceptable to any free person. I wish glory for you from Allah,” Pezeshkian wrote.
The image posted by Trump shows him dressed in a robe, appearing to perform a healing act amid dazzling light, with levitating figures resembling angels or troops. The Statue of Liberty and bursts of fireworks are also prominently featured in the background.
The post has drawn widespread global reaction, further intensified by Trump’s separate remarks targeting the Pope. In another post, Trump described Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after the pontiff called for an end to escalating tensions involving the United States, Iran, and Israel.
Pezeshkian’s response stood out for invoking Islamic reverence for Jesus regarded as a prophet in Islam as the basis for condemning what he called an insult to a shared religious figure, warning that such actions risk deepening divisions at a time of heightened global tension.
