Pope urges restraint in Gulf after tanker attacks
Pope Francis calls for restraint and a lowering of tensions in the Middle East following attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman that have raised fears of a broader confrontation in the region.
Francis, during a visit to a city in central Italy that was severely damaged by a string of earthquakes in 2016, says he was worried by the ramifications of the attacks.
"I invite everyone to use the instruments of diplomacy to resolve the complex problems of the conflicts in the Middle East," he says after Mass for several thousand people. "I renew a heartfelt appeal to the international community to make every possible effort to favour dialogue and peace."
