Before Vatican trip, Rubio defends Trump remarks on Pope Leo over Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pushed back on comments made by President Donald Trump, saying they mischaracterised his early remarks on the Iran war. Rubio stated that Trump's concern was rooted in the threat Iran poses to places with a large Catholic and Christian population, and questioned Iran's nuclear ambitions. The exchange comes ahead of a meeting between Rubio and Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, which is expected to be frank and underscore tensions between Washington and the Catholic Church.