Belgian Cardinal Dominique Mathieu of Tehran-Isfahan surfaced in Rome after days of uncertainty about his whereabouts following the start of a U.S. and Israel-Iran war.

In a brief statement sent to the Belgian Catholic news site, Cathobel, Mathieu said he arrived in Rome March 8 “not without regret and sorrow for our brothers and sisters in Iran.”

His departure from Iran, he said, was “part of the complete evacuation of the Italian Embassy, which serves as the seat of the archdiocese.”

“While waiting to return, pray for the conversion of hearts to inner peace,” he wrote.

Before his statement, Mathieu’s whereabouts were unknown after the U.S.-Israeli-led campaign started Feb. 28. OSV News had reached out to the cardinal several times but had received no response since the start of the war.

Tehran’s Cathedral of the Consolata, as well as the cardinal’s residence and administrative offices, are located on the grounds of the Italian Embassy.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced March 5 that the country’s embassy in Iran would be temporarily closed.

“A group of about 50 Italian nationals led by our ambassador to Iran has crossed the border into Azerbaijan,” Tajani said, adding that embassy staff will continue to operate in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

“We are keeping diplomatic relations with Tehran open, in order to protect the Italians there and our national interests,” he wrote on X.

It is unknown whether the cardinal traveled with the group before his arrival in Rome, and OSV News is awaiting a response from both the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Franciscan General Curia in Rome regarding the circumstances of Mathieu’s return.

According to Cathobel, Mathieu is expected to meet with Vatican officials to brief them on the situation in Iran. OSV News reached out to the Vatican press office to confirm if the cardinal is expected to meet with officials, as well as with Pope Leo XIV. By publication time, the Vatican had not responded.

The war in Iran began Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel launched joint strikes aimed at destroying Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and weakening the country’s leadership, which they accuse of threatening Israel and destabilizing the region.

The U.S. and Israel gave similar reasons for their joint attacks on Iran in 2025.

In an interview with OSV News in July, following the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, Mathieu said the rise of populist nationalism had led to “more barriers and increased armament, justified by fears of actual or potential attacks.”

“This leads to a climate where pre-emptive or preventive aggression is justified, and the notion of the other as a brother or sister to love diminishes,” he said. “Negotiations are often based on power balances rather than sincere dialogue and mutual understanding.”

“It is troubling to hear the idea of ‘obtaining peace by force,’ where violence becomes the only means of addressing conflicts,” Mathieu told OSV News in July.

With the war now in its second week, the U.S. and Israel continued strikes against Iran, as well as in southern Lebanon, where a Maronite Catholic priest was killed March 9 by Israeli artillery fire.

The killing of Fr. Pierre al-Rahi prompted a statement from the Vatican press office expressing Leo’s “profound sorrow” for victims of the Middle East, including the Maronite priest and “the many innocent people, including many children, and for those who were providing them with aid.”

This story appears in the War in Iran feature series. View the full series.

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Some Nigerian soldiers killed during ongoing counter-insurgency operations in Borno State, were laid to rest on Friday at the Maimalari Military Cantonment Cemetery in Maiduguri.

Speaking during the burial ceremony, the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, described the occasion as a painful reminder of the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces in service to the nation.

“In the profession of arms, there are moments of victory that fill us with pride and affirm the strength, courage and unity that define our service. Yet there are also solemn moments that weigh heavily on our hearts and remind us of the true cost of service, as we have witnessed today,” Abubakar said.

He noted that the fallen soldiers demonstrated courage, selflessness and unwavering dedication to duty, adding that their deaths were a loss not only to their families but also to the Nigerian Army, the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the nation at large.

“They gave their lives in devotion to a cause greater than themselves – the nation, the people and the ideals they swore to defend. They were brave, loyal and courageous patriots whose sacrifices will never be forgotten,” he added.

Abubakar further stated that the troops fought with valour and upheld the finest traditions of the Nigerian Army.

A woman, Janet Theophilus Danja, has been convicted and sentenced to five years by Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano for investment fraud to the tune of N22,350,000 (Twenty-Two Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

The defendant was arraigned on Monday, February 16, 2026, on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense. The case was brought to court by the Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Janet Theophilus Danjuma being a staff of Taj Bank Limited, Nai’bawa Branch Kano, sometimes in October, 2024 in Kano, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N22,350,000 (Twenty-Two Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from Wade Bamaiyi, under the pretext that the money will be invested in CASA Program of Taj Bank Limited which pretense you knew to false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offenses Act 2006 and Punishable Under section 1(3) of the same Act.

Upon her arraignment, the charge was read to the defendant to which she pleaded guilty.

Following her guilty plea, the prosecuting counsel, Sadiq Huseini, reviewed the facts of the case, detailing how the defendant deceived her victims by exploiting the name of a legitimate financial product to gain their trust. He urged the court to convict the defendant accordingly as prescribed by law.

Consequently, Justice Shuaibu convicted and sentenced Danjuma to five years imprisonment without an option of a fine.

The convict had fraudulently induced her victims to invest a total of N22,350,000 in a non-existent investment scheme, falsely claiming she would channel the funds into the Taj Bank CASA (Current Account Savings Account) program. However, investigation by the Commission traced all the monies to her personal account. She was charged to court and convicted.