The Pope called on the parties to the conflict in the Middle East to engage in dialogue

On March 1, Pope Leo XIV expressed concern about the escalation in the Middle East and Iran, calling on the parties to moral responsibility and dialogue.

"Take moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it turns into an irretrievable abyss," the Vatican News portal quoted him as saying.

The Pontiff also said that peace cannot be built on threats and weapons. He called a "reasonable, genuine and responsible dialogue" the only right way.

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported on the same day that 40 Iranian commanders were killed in one minute of strikes. In addition, as noted, as a result of the Israeli army strikes, most of the air defense system in the west and central part of Iran was allegedly destroyed.

The Times of Israel newspaper, in turn, noted that the Israeli Air Force has dropped more than 1.2 thousand rounds of ammunition on various targets since the beginning of the attack on Iran on February 28. According to the IDF, the strikes hit hundreds of Iranian military targets, including ballistic missile launchers and air defense systems.

The commander-in-chief of the army of the Islamic Republic, Amir Hatami, said on March 1 that Iran had used all types of its armed forces to repel attacks from the United States and Israel. He also expressed confidence in the full determination of the Iranian military to defend their country and thwart all the plans of the enemy.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.