Mohammad-Hossein Mektari Requests Pope Leo XIV to Take Diplomatic Action Against U.S. Sanctions

Mohammad-Hossein Mektari, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Vatican, has issued a new letter to Pope Leo XIV requesting diplomatic action to counter the humanitarian consequences of U.S. sanctions, speaking of human dignity and the right to travel for treatment, family visits, and religious observance. However, this request comes at a time when Christians in Iran face severe prison sentences, deprivation of access to the Bible, and restrictions on freely practicing their religious rites—a contradiction that raises serious questions about the Iranian government’s commitment to the same rights it now asks the Vatican to defend.

Mohammad-Hossein Mektari, ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Vatican, has criticized U.S. sanctions and flight restrictions in a letter to Pope Leo XIV, leader of the world’s Catholics, and has called on the Vatican to use its moral and diplomatic capacities to reduce harm to ordinary people.

According to a report published by Press TV on October 9, Mektari argued in the letter that travel restrictions are not merely political or economic matters and can impede patients’ access to treatment, students’ access to education, families’ contact with one another, and believers’ access to sacred sites. He asked the Pope to take steps to preserve humanitarian pathways and prevent harm to civilians.

In part of his letter, Mektari wrote: “Do not close the sky to ordinary people, for the sky, before it is a field of power, is the means of human connection.”

He also called on religious leaders to cooperate with one another to defend the rights of people who are subjected to the pressure of political decisions.

Concern about the humanitarian consequences of sanctions is a real and legitimate issue. Financial and transportation restrictions can affect the lives of ordinary citizens and make access to services, medicine, or necessary travel more difficult. However, the extent and nature of these consequences depend on the type of restrictions, how they are implemented, and the existence or absence of humanitarian exemption channels.

On the other hand, raising these concerns by a representative of the Islamic Republic poses an important question: Does the Iranian government recognize these same standards for its own citizens? Does human dignity, freedom of conscience, and the right of access to religious beliefs matter only when Tehran wishes to speak of them in the sphere of foreign diplomacy, or should these rights be observed without discrimination within Iran as well?

One clear example of this contradiction is the case of Ghazal Marzban, a Catholic Christian citizen imprisoned in Evin Prison. According to reports from Hrana and Hengaw, she was sentenced in June 2026 to nine years and eight months imprisonment. The charges stated in her case include “propaganda against the system” and “assembly and conspiracy intended to disrupt national security.”

Published reports also indicate that Marzban has gone on a hunger strike in protest of being deprived of access to the Bible and Catholic prayers as well as restrictions on family visits. Hrana reported the continuation of this protest in August 2026.

This case raises a fundamental question about freedom of religion and belief in Iran: If access to religious rites and texts is part of humanity’s spiritual needs, why should a Christian prisoner face obstacles in possessing a Bible and religious prayers? This is the same human and spiritual dimension that the Islamic Republic’s ambassador asked the Pope to work to protect in his letter.

The issue of religious restrictions is not limited to political prisoners. In July 2026, reports were published regarding the enforcement of a confiscation order of the St. Peter’s Church compound in Tehran and an order to vacate the residence of approximately 20 Armenian and Assyrian families. This compound, beyond its historical and religious value, has been the home of families from Iran’s Christian community.

Reports from Radio Farda, Iran Wire, and Hengaw have examined this matter within a broader framework of concerns about the status of Christian property and places of worship. The legal details and procedures of the case must be distinguished from the claims presented in the reports; however, the fundamental concern about the security of property, the preservation of religious heritage, and the ability of these families to continue their social and religious life remains important.

Along with Ghazal Marzban’s case and reports related to St. Peter’s Church, these instances show that the discussion of religious freedom in Iran is not limited to issuing formal permits for worship; access to the Bible, the security of religious sites, the right to assembly, and access to fair judicial proceedings are also part of it.

Mektari’s request to the Pope is based on concepts that hold important positions in Christian and Islamic traditions: human dignity, empathy for the vulnerable, and support for those harmed by political decisions. These concepts should not merely be tools of diplomatic competition; their credibility depends on their uniform application to all people.

If the Iranian government seeks to defend the rights of patients, families, and believers who may be harmed by sanctions, it is expected to show the same sensitivity toward Christian citizens, Bahais, Sunnis, and other religious minorities within the country. Freedom of conscience and religion is a universal right and should not be contingent on religious affiliation, political viewpoint, or the degree of alignment with the government.

At the same time, criticism of the Islamic Republic’s policies should not cause one to overlook the suffering of Iranian citizens due to sanctions. Ordinary people should not be deprived of treatment, contact with family, or the practice of religious rites because of disputes between governments; just as they should not face imprisonment, discrimination, or deprivation of fundamental rights within the country because of their religious beliefs.

The letter of Iran’s ambassador to the Pope ultimately provides a clear standard for measuring a moral claim: If human dignity and religious freedom are universal values, their defense must transcend political boundaries and become actual rights for citizens within Iran as well. Support for people against the consequences of sanctions and ending discrimination against religious minorities are not contradictory demands; both stem from respect for human dignity.