The Holy See has clarified that a papal honour awarded to Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican was part of a routine diplomatic ceremony for 13 ambassadors, after Iranian media reports presented it as a special gesture by Pope Leo XIV.

Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, Iran’s ambassador to the Holy See, was among the diplomats who received the title of Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX on May 12. Vatican News said the honours were presented to ambassadors who had completed two years of service as representatives to the Holy See.

The ceremony was led by Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, Substitute for General Affairs at the Secretariat of State, who presented the insignia and official parchments to the diplomats. The ceremony took place on the anniversary of Pope Leo’s election.

The clarification followed reports by Iranian state-linked outlets which described the award as recognition of Mokhtari’s efforts to promote peace, dialogue and bilateral relations. IRNA reported that Pope Leo had awarded the Vatican’s highest diplomatic distinction to the Iranian ambassador “in recognition of his efforts to promote peace, dialogue, and bilateral relations”.

The US Embassy to the Holy See issued a public rebuttal, saying: “Contrary to news reports, Pope Leo has not bestowed an exclusive special honor on the Iranian ambassador to the Holy See.” The embassy said the decoration was given to all accredited ambassadors to the Holy See after more than two years of service and had been standard practice for many years.

The Holy See Press Office also said the decoration was an award bestowed upon ambassadors after two years of service at the Holy See, according to reports on the Vatican clarification.

The Order of Pius IX, also known as the Pian Order, is one of the Holy See’s principal orders of knighthood. The Grand Cross is one of its highest grades and is often conferred on ambassadors accredited to the Holy See as part of diplomatic practice.

The controversy arose because some reports framed the decoration as a political signal towards Tehran at a time of continued international tension over Iran. The Vatican’s explanation, and the statement from the US Embassy to the Holy See, stressed instead that the award was not exclusive to the Iranian envoy and carried no special political endorsement.

The Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with Iran, as it does with many states whose governments are often criticised by Western countries and human rights organisations. Vatican diplomacy has traditionally sought to preserve channels of dialogue even in difficult circumstances, while maintaining the Church’s teaching on human dignity, religious freedom and peace. The routine honour, therefore, was presented as part of long-standing protocol rather than as a judgment on Iran’s policies.