Middle East crisis live: Iran warns US blockade of strait of Hormuz would violate ceasefire | US-Israel war on Iran
important events
Trump: I don’t care if Iran doesn’t return to negotiations
Donald Trump says he doesn’t care if Iran returns to talks with US After the weekend talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement.
“I don’t care if they come back or not,” Trump was quoted as telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews military base in Maryland upon his return from Florida on Sunday.
“If they don’t come back, that’s fine with me.”
More here Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV branded him “weak on crime, terrible on foreign policy” and claimed he was damaging the Catholic church.
The US president also stated on the Truth Social platform that US-born Leo became pope only because he was president.
I like his brother Louis more than him because Louis is totally MAGA. She understands, but Leo doesn’t!
Trump also said in his post:
Unfortunately Leo being Weak on Crime and Weak on Nuclear Weapons doesn’t sit well with me…
Leo should act as Pope, use Common Sense, stop serving the Radical Left, and focus on being the Great Pope, not the Politician. This hurts him very badly and more importantly, it hurts the Catholic Church!
Trump’s attack came after the pope condemned the “illusion of omnipotence” as fueling the US-Israeli war in Iran and demanded that political leaders stop and negotiate peace.
According to the Associated Press, Leo also presided over evening prayers at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday as US-Iran talks began in Pakistan amid a fragile ceasefire.
The pope did not mention the name of the United States or Trump in his prayer, but the pope’s tone and message appeared to be directed at Trump and US officials, who boast about US military superiority and justify the war in religious terms.
Immediately after his social media post, Trump made a statement to reporters in Maryland and said, “I don’t think he did a very good job,” and added, “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
Opening summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s ongoing coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran and its consequences for the wider region, the world and the global economy.
Here are the main developments:
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Trump says US Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz and would also ban all ships paying fees to Iran in international waters. In a lengthy post on the Truth Social platform, the president said the US would begin “BLOCKING all Ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz.”
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In another post Trump also claimed that Iran “knowingly failed” to fulfill its promise to open the straitIt causes “anxiety” and “pain” in many countries around the world.
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US Central Command (Centcom) announced that it will blockade the strait as of Monday morning.. “Centcom forces will begin to blockade all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10:00 on April 13. [1400 GMT]”In accordance with our President’s statement.”
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Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned “The approach of military ships to the Strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire.”
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Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump announced the blockade. The price of US crude oil increased by 8 percent to 104.24 dollars per barrel, and the price of Brent crude oil, which is the international standard, increased by 7 percent to 102.29 dollars. The Australian share market fell sharply on Monday morning.
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Donald Trump and his advisors are considering resuming limited military strikes on Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Strait of HormuzThe Wall Street Journal reports, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.
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Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, saying he was “weak on crime, terrible on foreign policy” and damaging to the Catholic church.. “Leo needs to act as Pope,” the president said on Truth Social. The attack came after Leo condemned the “illusion of omnipotence” fueling the US-Israeli war in Iran and demanded that political leaders stop and negotiate peace.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has not been asked to join any US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. He said he would like to see negotiations between the United States and Iran continue.
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Trump reiterates threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if deal is not reached To end the war he started with Israel, which was widely seen as an illegal and unprovoked attack. “I can take on Iran in one day,” he told Fox News on Sunday.
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Trump also said that the United States does not need a strait. “We can’t get our oil from there. We have too much oil,” he told Fox. “We have boats docking in the USA… We don’t need the Strait.”
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, who leads Tehran’s side in the US negotiations, said Trump’s new threats will have no impact on the Iranian nation. “If you fight, we will fight too. If you come forward with logic, we will fight with logic. We will not bow to any threat.” He later mocked Trump on X, writing: “Enjoy the current pump numbers. With the so-called ‘blockade’, you’ll soon be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas.”
