Pope Leo has stated he was not seeking to debate Donald Trump when he criticized 'tyrants' for spending billions on wars in a speech earlier this week. The pontiff said the remarks, which he delivered days after a high-profile spat with Trump, had been written a fortnight earlier – 'well before the president ever commented on myself'. And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate, again, the president, which is not in my interest at all, he told reporters aboard a flight to Angola on Saturday. On Monday, Trump launched a scathing attack on the first American Pope, who has been a vocal critic of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran, calling him 'terrible for foreign policy'. The Pope, currently on a tour of Africa, said a 'certain narrative that has not been accurate' developed, citing 'the political situation created' by Trump's comments. During a speech in Cameroon on Thursday, he criticized leaders who 'turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found'. The Pope also condemned 'an endless cycle of destabilisation and death' in a 'bloodstained' region of Cameroon gripped by insurgency for nearly a decade. Trump had initially posted his lengthy criticism of the leader of the Catholic Church after the pontiff had voiced concern about Trump's threat that 'a whole civilisation will die' if Iran did not agree to US demands. The president stated he was 'not a big fan' of the Pope and described him as 'WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy', even posting an AI-generated image portraying himself as a Jesus-like figure, which he later removed.