We’re closing this file now but our live coverage continues on a new blog here, including a summary of the latest key developments. Thanks for reading.
Qantas sees bigger jet fuel bill as financial leaders warn of 'prolonged' petrol price hikes
Surging jet fuel prices may raise costs for Australia’s Qantas by up to A$800m ($570m) in the second half of this year, the airline said on Tuesday.
War in the Middle East has led jet fuel prices to more than double and they remained “extremely volatile”, the carrier said in a market update, cited by AFP.
It came as global financial organisations warned of a continuing worldwide oil shock.
The directors of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the International Energy Agency (IEA) said the war’s damage to energy facilities could keep fuel and fertiliser prices high for “a prolonged period”.
Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, said the disruptions to oil supplies from the conflict was “the greatest energy security challenge in history”.
A third of the 80 Middle East energy facilities his agency was monitoring had been damaged, he said.
Birol warned that April could be worse than March for the world economy because many fuel shipments from before the war were still arriving in ports last month.
Birol, quoted by the AP, was speaking at IMF headquarters in Washington DC after meeting with IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank president Ajay Banga.
US oil prices were $98 a barrel in afternoon trading after topping $100 earlier on Monday.
Updated
We’ve got vision here of Donald Trump commenting on the AI-generated image he posted to this Truth Social platform depicting himself as a Christ-like figure, with divine light emanating from his hands as he heals a stricken man in a hospital bed.
The president has since deleted the post after facing the wrath of some of his most high-profile and loyal Christian supporters.
When asked if he posted the image himself, Trump said at the White House:
I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross.”
He added that “only the fake news could come up with that one” in reference to people drawing connections between himself and Christ in the image.
You can see our most recent post on the controversy, and the video’s here:
Hezbollah leader urges Lebanon to cancel talks with Israel
The head of Hezbollah called on Lebanon on Monday to pull out of direct talks with Israel set to take place in Washington on Tuesday – the first such talks in decades.
Naim Kassem spoke in a televised address on the eve of the scheduled meeting between Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to the US as both sides set a framework for negotiations.
“We refuse negotiations with the Israeli entity. These negotiations are pointless,” Kassem said in the address, calling it a “free concession” to Israel and the US.
The opportunity is still there. We call for a historic and heroic position to cancel these negotiations.”
Kassem called for a return to the ceasefire that halted the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024, the AP reports. At the time, talks were done indirectly, with the US, France and the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon mediating.
In the current war, Lebanon’s government – which says it is committed to disarming the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group – called for direct talks early on. Last week, Israel announced its approval of talks.
Lebanon hopes for a ceasefire as a prerequisite – similar to the Iran and US talks brokered by Pakistan – but Israel has framed the talks as peace negotiations with Hezbollah’s disarmament as a priority, with no mention of a truce or a withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon.
Updated
Circling back to JD Vance’s comments about whether more talks with Iran are ahead, the US vice-president said Washington had made its red lines clear on ending the war and it was now up to Tehran to take action.
Vance told Fox News on Monday:
I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table. We actually made very clear what our red lines were.
There are two things in particular where the president of the United States really said we have no flexibility.”
Vance listed them as US control of Iran’s enriched uranium, and a verification mechanism to ensure it does not develop a nuclear weapon in future.
He also said, quoted by AFP:
It’s one thing for the Iranians to say that they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. It’s another thing for us to put in place the mechanism to ensure that’s not going to happen.”
Vance led a US delegation that met Iranian officials in Pakistan at the weekend but the talks ended without a deal to end the more than six-week US-Israeli war against Iran.
Updated
A senior military officer or diplomat is expected to represent Australia at this week’s summit on reopening the strait of Hormuz, set to be led by France and the UK.
The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the summit of at least 40 countries would seek to “advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends”.
Australia’s defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio it was yet to be confirmed who would attend the talks on behalf of Australia, expected to take place towards the end of the week.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, attended the first summit remotely earlier this month.
Conroy said:
The key thing is there’s the coalition of nations that are really keen to see a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.”
Trump also spoke about his much-criticised social media post in which an image showed him wearing a biblical-style robe and laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers – while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly.
The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images, as the AP reports.
Trump told reporters at the White House:
I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross. It’s supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. A lot better.”
The president blamed the “fake news” for any confusion over the image, which drew criticism from a wide range of people, including some of Trump’s own evangelical supporters, who objected to the notion that Trump was likening himself to Christ.
Even Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assailed the “desecration of Jesus” while also speaking up to defend Pope Leo.
Trump’s post on Sunday night was deleted from his account late on Monday morning. He didn’t provide details on how that happened.
Updated
Trump refuses to apologise to Pope Leo
Donald Trump refused to apologise to the pope on Monday after criticising Leo XIV for his opposition to the war in Iran – and the US president sought to explain away his now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image was of him as a doctor.
Trump was asked about his comments toward the US-born head of the Catholic church, as well as the post depicting himself as a saint-like healer, in a hastily called question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House, the Associated Press is reporting.
Trump said:
He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result.”
Trump added that “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things, so I’m not” going to apologise.
He went public. I’m just responding to Pope Leo.”
More in next post.
Updated
Vance urges Vatican to 'stick to matters of morality'
More now on US vice-president JD Vance urging the Vatican to “stick to matters of morality” amid the escalating row between Donald Trump and Pope Leo over Iran.
Vance is quoted as telling Fox News:
I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality ... and let the President United States stick to dictating American public policy.”
As mentioned in the last post, Vance’s comments came after Trump launched an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV, saying on Truth Social that the US-born pontiff was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy”, was “catering to the radical left” and was hurting the Catholic church.
Trump later posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, appearing to “cure” a man – and later deleted it after a backlash from some of his religious supporters.
Leo said after Trump’s criticism that he did not fear the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war.
Trump’s attack came after Leo denounced a “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.
Updated
US vice-president JD Vance is also being quoted as saying the Vatican should “stick to matters of morality”.
The comments come after President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and was hurting the Catholic church.
The US-born pontiff said in response that he did not fear the Trump administration and would continue to speak out against war.
Trump’s attack came after Leo denounced a “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.
We’ll have more on Vance’s comments soon.
Updated
Vance says ball in Iran's court over prospect of more talks with US
US vice-president JD Vance says the US made a lot of progress in its weekend talks with Iran in Pakistan.
Asked whether more talks were coming, Vances also said on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier on Monday that the ball was in Iran’s court.
He also said – quoted by Reuters – that the US expected Iran would make progress on opening the strait of Hormuz, warning that the negotiations would change if Tehran did not.
Updated
JD Vance is reportedly saying of the prospect of a second round of talks with Iran that the ball is in Tehran’s court.
The US vice-president led the American negotiating team at weekend negotiations with Iran in Pakistan that failed to reach an agreement.
Donald Trump said on Sunday that he didn’t care if Iran came back to negotiations with the US. “I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”
Updated
Afternoon Summary
Thanks for reading our ongoing coverage of the Middle East crisis.
While Monday has seen lots of rhetoric about the US-Israel war on Iran, there has been little meaningful movement toward a diplomatic off-ramp. And, it’s quite possible that President Trump’s Strait of Hormuz blockade will make things worse.
Here’s a roundup of today’s news so far.
Donald Trump said that his planned Hormuz blockade had begun. Trump said that the blockade will be on all Iranian ports along the strait from Monday onward; approximately 20% of the global oil and gas supply moved through this waterway prior to the war. Seafarers as well as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received advisories indicating that Trump’s blockade will apply to all ship traffic, regardless of the vessel’s flag.
The US President claimed that Iran wanted to reach a deal. He insisted that the US will not agree to any deal that would permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world,” he said at a last-minute White House presser on Monday.
After receiving a McDonald’s delivery at the beginning of said press conference, Trump invoked bellicose language in discussing Iran. “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we’re going to get the dust back. We’ll get it back, either we’ll get it back from them, or we’ll take it,” he said. At one point, when questioned about some sort of prior ultimatum regarding Iran, Trump said, “I don’t want to comment on that but it won’t be pleasant”.
There were reports indicating that US officials were trying to shepherd successful talks. One official told CNN: “There is continued engagement between the US and Iran and forward motion on trying to get an agreement.” Meanwhile, CNN reports that some admin officials are having internal talks about how a second sit-down with Iranian officials might look, should the opportunity arise.
Nato allies said on Monday that they will not join in Trump’s Hormuz blockade. The Nato nations proposed getting involved only after the fighting ends.
British prime minister Keir Starmer spoke out about their decision not to get involved in the blockade. “We’re not supporting the blockade,” Starmer told the BBC. “My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure, and there’s been some considerable pressure, we’re not getting dragged into the war.”
Trump slammed Pope Leo XIV on social media in response to the pontiff’s call for an end to the war. He claimed that the pope was trying to appease the “Radical Left.” Leo XIV said he had “no intention to debate” Trump over Iran but would continue to advocate for peace.
As the prospect of a diplomatic resolution to end the US war on Iran remains in the balance, President Trump has directed some of his attention to attacking the media.
“For those people that still read The Failing New York Times and, despite the fact that Iran has been totally OBLITERATED, Militarily, and otherwise, you would think that Iran is actually winning or, at the very least, doing quite well — But that’s not true, and The New York Times knows that it’s FAKE NEWS!” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday afternoon.
Trump, who this morning posted an AI-generated image depicting him as Jesus Christ-like and later deleted it, also invoked rhetorical questions about “shame” and “decency.”
Updated
UN secretary general António Guterres is pushing for the US and Iran to resume negotiations that would end the war.
“After weeks of destruction & distress, it is clear that there is no military solution to the current conflict in the Middle East. I call for resumption of talks for an agreement to be reached,” Guterres said on X. “The ceasfire must absolutely be preserved. All violations must cease. All parties to the conflict must respect the freedom of navigation, including in the strait of Hormuz, in line with international law.”
Guterres’ post comes hours after Donald Trump confirmed that his blockade of the strait of Hormuz had gone into effect. Meanwhile, the prospect of resumed talks remains uncertain.
US officials are reportedly having internal discussions related to logistics for a possible second meeting with Iranian officials, in the event such an opportunity comes up. But Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly told French president Emmanuel Macron that irrational US demands had thwarted an agreement during this weekend’s peace talks, per CNN.
“We have clearly stated the ceasefire conditions and remain committed to them,” Pezeshkian said to Macron, according to an Iranian state media report cited by CNN. “The US excessive demands prevented reaching an agreement… Iran will continue negotiations only within the framework of international law.”
Updated
Top US Senate Democrats once again trying for war powers resolution
Top US Senate Democrats are once again trying to stop Donald Trump’s war in Iran.
A half-dozen Democratic senators, including Arizona’s Mark Kelly and New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, on Monday joined a cohort of colleagues who have been filing resolutions to end the conflict and limit Trump’s war powers in Iran. Republicans have thwarted prior efforts.
“Americans want Washington to improve their lives, not to drag us into another endless conflict in the Middle East that is putting American service members at risk and driving up costs at home,” Kelly said in a statement. “Congress has the power to stop this chaos and hold this president in check, and that’s exactly what we should do. Then Washington can focus on what the American people need, starting with lowering costs.”
Leading Democrats in the US House and Senate have said that they will force votes this week as part of their effort to stop the war, per MSNBC.
Updated
Oil prices have fallen back after briefly rising to above $100 a barrel as Donald Trump claimed Iran had made contact and wanted “very badly” to strike a deal in the face of his blockade of the strait of Hormuz.
The Brent crude international benchmark rose above the key psychological threshold earlier in the day, at one point up 6.9% to $101.70 a barrel on news of the US president’s plan to block the waterway to Iranian marine traffic.
However, it later eased back to a little more than $99 a barrel after Trump said the blockade had come into force at 10am ET (3pm BST), and the Iranians had subsequently got in touch.
Trump administration officials are having internal discussions surrounding the details for possible second meeting with Iran before the US-Iran ceasefire ends next week, CNN reports.
These discussions are unfolding in the event an opportunity for a meeting avails itself but, CNN notes, it’s unknown whether such a sit-down would actually happen.
“We need to be prepared to stand something up quickly should things head in that direction,” a source told CNN. These officials are talking about things such as possible meeting dates and locations, as well as mediators, if continuing negotiations make progress.
News of a potential meeting comes as Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz went into effect. Trump’s move threatens to disrupt not only an integral global trade route, but put still more upward pressure on oil prices.
The UK’s deputy prime minister David Lammy told the US vice-president JD Vance that it is “vital” for shipping to flow freely in the strait of Hormuz.
Lammy met Vance and the US secretary of state Marco Rubio to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East.
A statement from Lammy’s office said they discussed security in the strait, adding that the UK government “is focused on supporting and sustaining the ceasefire and turning it into a lasting agreement”.
“It is vital that shipping flows freely again through the straits of Hormuz,” it said, adding that Lammy highlighted the UK’s effort to achieve this.
The UK will co-host an international summit of more than 40 nations this week to discuss how to safeguard shipping through the strait of Hormuz when the Iran conflict finally comes to an end.
The Guardian’s political editor in the UK Pippa Crerar has this explainer on the UK’s likely role in the strait once the war ends:
The German chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end fighting in southern Lebanon and engage in direct peace talks with the Lebanese government, according to a German government spokesman.
In a telephone conversation with Netanyahu, Merz also expressed his “grave concern” about developments in Palestine and demanded that there “must be no de facto partial annexation of the West Bank”, the government spokesman said. The spokesperson said Merz offered Germany’s continuing support for efforts “to reach a diplomatic understanding between the United States and Iran”.
Talking to reporters in Berlin, Merz criticised the peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan last week as not well prepared.
Updated
When fighting broke out once more between Hezbollah and Israel after the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Israel launched a ground invasion and bombing campaign of southern Lebanon. The campaign has displaced more than 1.2 million and left 2,000 dead. Will Christou, who is reporting from Lebanon, looks into Israel’s plans for the country.
Although oil prices lingered slightly under $100 per barrel on Monday, US stocks have remained steady, suggesting that traders think there could be hope for a diplomatic solution that would stave off chaos for the global economy, the Associated Press reports.
The S+P 500 increased 0.5% during afternoon trading, making up for a previous decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 32 points, or 0.1%, just after 2 2pm Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite sat 0.7% higher, the AP said.
Energy markets remain more jittery as crude oil increased more than 4%, the AP noted. However, that was a less intense shift than markets have seen since the war broke out in late February.
Donald Trump’s blockade of the strait of Hormuz still poses a risk if negotiations do not prove successful. Blocking the strait will further disrupt the flow of oil into the international market.
Updated
US official says US and Iran still 'trying to get an agreement'
A US official said “there is continued engagement between the US and Iran and forward motion on trying to get an agreement,” multiple outlets reported.
CNN’s reporting on the ongoing US-Iran conflict directly quoted this official. A Reuters alert also mentioned continuing engagement, citing an official.
The mention of continued engagement comes as Donald Trump continues to deploy strong language about Iran, adding to the confusion as to whether a diplomatic solution is on the horizon or highly uncertain.
Updated
President Trump’s comments on Iran during a last-minute White House press conference on Monday seemed to dash hopes of speedy diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict.
“They will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters moments after he received a DoorDash delivery of McDonalds from a woman to celebrate his tax bill, which removes levies from tips.
“If they don’t agree, there’s no deal. There’ll never be a deal. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, and we’re going to get the dust back. We’ll get it back, either we’ll get it back from them, or we’ll take it.”
“We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world, because that’s what they’re doing. They’re really blackmailing the world. We’re not going to let that happen,” Trump said at one point. Trump’s comments came shortly after his blockade of the strait of Hormuz went into effect, which has threatened to further roil global trade and oil markets.
“Iran is a wants to be a nuclear nation so they can exterminate the world. Not going to happen.”
At another point, when Trump was asked about some sort of prior ultimatum to Iran, he said: “I don’t want to comment on that but it won’t be pleasant”.
Updated
The US asked that Iran agree to a 20-year moratorium uranium enrichment during talks in Pakistan this weekend, Axios reported Monday.
Citing a source familiar with the situation as well as a US official, Axios said that Iran responded with a proposed “single digit” timeframe.
The US, per Axios, also wanted Iran to “remove all highly enriched uranium from the country.” Iran reportedly said the nation would consent to “monitored process of down-blending,” these two sources told Axios.
Disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program reportedly remain the logjam preventing a deal.
Donald Trump claims Iran wants 'to work a deal' and confirms blockade of strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal and that he will not come to any agreement that allows Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.
Trump said that talks had hit a roadblock related to nuclear issues and that a “blockade” of ships transiting the strait of Hormuz had begun.
He said that Iran had “called this morning” and that “they’d like to work a deal.” Reuters could not immediately verify the claim.
“Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters during an impromptu press conference at the White House on Monday. “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world.”
When asked if oil tankers will be operating in the strait of Hormuz, he said: “Yeah, I think they’re going to be doing very well there. And I think they’re doing very well here [in the US]. You know, a lot of tankers are coming up here. They’re coming in empty and out full, and we have a great capacity to take care of that business.
Updated
US president Donald Trump claims that 34 ships went through the strait of Hormuz on Sunday, saying that would be the highest number since the “foolish closure” began.
Summary of the day so far
Here is a summary of the day so far
The US blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas has begun. Seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
Donald Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’. “Iran’s navy is laying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
Nato allies said on Monday they would not get involved in US president Donald Trump’s plan to blockade the strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.
Trump lashed out on social media at Pope Leo XIV, who, over the weekend, had called for an end to war without directly mentioning the conflict in Iran. The US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on Truth Social accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy.
The pope on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Trump over Iran – but went on to say that he will “continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”
Israel has summoned Italy’s ambassador on Monday to protest after foreign minister Antonio Tajani condemned Israel’s “unacceptable attacks” on civilians in Lebanon during a visit to Beirut, an Italian diplomatic source said.
This comes as Tajani wrote on X that he was in Beirut to “convey Italy’s solidarity following Israel’s unacceptable attacks against the civilian population.”
He called for dialogue between Lebanon and Israel and a “necessary and lasting ceasefire” adding: “Another escalation like in Gaza must be avoided at all costs.”
Tajani was in talks with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun and foreign minister Youssef Raggi.
Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on 2 March. Israel then responded with large-scale strikes and a ground invasion.
Italy’s government summoned Israel’s ambassador last week after saying Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, damaging at least one vehicle but causing no injuries.
Nato allies refuse to join Trump's strait of Hormuz blockade
Nato allies said on Monday they would not get involved in US president Donald Trump’s plan to blockade the strait of Hormuz, proposing instead to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.
This comes as the US president said the country’s military would work with other countries to block all maritime traffic in the waterway, after weekend talks failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week conflict with Iran. However, now leaders from countries who are part of Nato are saying they will not get involved.
“We’re not supporting the blockade,” British prime minister Keir Starmer told the BBC. “My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure, and there’s been some considerable pressure, we’re not getting dragged into the war,” he said.
Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Greece have all ruled out sending naval forces to support the blockade.
However, France will organise a conference with Britain and other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Monday.
“This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows,” Macron said.
Updated
Trump vows that ships approaching US blockade of Iran’s ports will be ‘eliminated’
US president Donald Trump has claimed to have “obliterated” 158 Iranian ships as part of the US blockade of Iranian shores. “Iran’s navy is laying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
He says that what they have not hit are Iran’s “fast attack ships”, because they are not considered “much of a threat” to the US blockade. He threatened to take down these ships using the same “system of kill” used against “drug dealers on boats”.
“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, they will be immediately eliminated, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal,” he wrote – capitalising the words “blockade” and “eliminated”.
He added at the end: “P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have stopped! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Updated
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned US president Donald Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV “on behalf of the great nation of Iran,” adding that the desecration of “Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood,” is not acceptable to “any free person”.
This comes after Trump launched an attack on Truth Social on the pope, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.
He added: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.”
US blockade on Iranian ports begins
US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), meaning the operation should have kicked off as of now.
As previously reported, seafarers and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations have received notices warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
The UKMTO notice said that the transit passage through the strait to or from non-Iranian destinations should not be affected by these restrictions, but UKMTO warned that vessels attempting to do so were likely to encounter a military presence.
We’ll bring you more details as they come in – stay tuned.
Here’s what we know about the blockade so far:
Updated
UKMTO receives notice warning of maritime restrictions on entire Iranian coastline
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Monday that it has received a notice of maritime restrictions on the entire Iranian coastline, including on ports and energy infrastructure.
UKMTO posted about the restrictions minutes before the US blockade was set to begin.
The notice that the UKMTO received echoes much the note sent by US military to seafarers that warned that the blockade east of the strait of Hormuz would apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
The UKMTO notice said that the transit passage through the strait to or from non-Iranian destinations should not be affected by these restrictions, but UKMTO warned that vessels attempting to do so were likely to encounter a military presence.
Updated
Here are some images coming out of the Middle East today:
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said it is deeply concerned about attacks on medical workers in Lebanon after a Red Cross centre was struck by Israel on Monday, and the killing of a health worker on Sunday.
“The loss of those who dedicate their lives to saving others is gravely concerning, given the impact on the civilians who depend on their help,” said Agnes Dhur, head of delegation of the ICRC in Lebanon.
“Saving lives must never cost a life. Humanitarian and medical personnel must be protected. They must be allowed to reach and help the wounded and return unharmed.”
The ICRC called on all parties to the fighting to “uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law”.
Red Cross paramedic Hassan Badawi was killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday. His funeral has taken place, and his colleagues are mourning.
Pope Leo XIV has further defended his position of seeking peace, after US president Donald Trump criticised him for “catering to the Radical Left”.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do,” the pontiff said.
“We are not politicians, we don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective (as) he might understand it,” he continued. “But I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”
This comes after Leo suggested over the weekend that “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran. In response, Trump said he thinks the pontiff is not “doing a very good job”.
Both Trump and Pete Hegseth, his defence secretary, have invoked God and religious language in public messaging during the conflict. Hegseth has even framed the war effort as divinely supported, a sentiment that the pope has repeatedly refuted.
“Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” he said on Palm Sunday. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”
Updated
EU must scale up 'homegrown' renewable energy as war in Iran continues, European Commission president says
The EU needs to intensify the shift to “homegrown” and “reliable” renewable and nuclear energy, after the war in the Middle East added €22bn to its energy-import bill, the head of the European Commission said Monday.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen promised a strategy next Wednesday outlining how the EU could contain the economic fallout from 44 days of turmoil in the Middle East, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February.
Reflecting the uncertainty after the weekend’s inconclusive talks between the US and Iran – and Donald Trump’s subsequent social media posts – von der Leyen observed that “negotiations have been stalled now and we have to say how things go”.
Any agreement, she said, would have to address concerns raised by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programme and the strait of Hormuz, as she said “the restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us”.
EU leaders remain concerned about Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and she called on “all parties” to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and to implement a complete cessation of hostilities. “You cannot have stability in the Middle East or the Gulf while Lebanon is in flames.”
Most of her remarks were focused on the EU’s internal agenda in response to soaring energy prices. Von der Leyen said that during 44 days the EU’s import bill for fossil fuels had increased by more than €22bn, with “not a single molecule of energy in addition”.
She said the EU was paying “a high price for our over-dependency on fossil fuels” but went on to say that Europe had assets.
“We have the electricity that is produced in Europe, from renewables and from nuclear. And therefore our strategy to decarbonise has not only been confirmed in the last years, but is growing in importance day by day. And our objective is very clear. We need to scale up the homegrown, affordable, reliable energy,” von der Leyen said.
She said the EU’s 27 member states need to coordinate on gas storage filling and releasing oil stocks. The European Commission would consult countries on greater flexibility in state aid, rules governing subsidies and other support. She urged faster progress to agree on an EU draft law on grids that would help the shift to renewable energy, while also promising an electrification strategy and calling for governments to implement more energy-saving measures.
Today so far
Here is a summary of today’s events so far:
World leaders have been reacting to Donald Trump’s earlier declaration that the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and also prohibit every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. UK prime minister Keir Starmer was adamant that the UK does not support the blockade and that “we are not getting dragged into the war”. Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said that restoration of freedom of navigation in the strait of Hormuz is of “paramount” importance.
US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz. Reuters reports that the US military has sent a note to seafarers warning that the blockade will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag.
Trump lashed out on social media at Pope Leo XIV, who, over the weekend, had called for an end to war without directly mentioning the conflict in Iran. The US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on Truth Social accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy.
The pope on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Trump over Iran – but went on to say that he will “continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems.”
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf taunted Trump on X, saying in a post: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.” Earlier he said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation: “If you fight, we will fight … We will not bow to any threats.”
Updated
US naval blockade will apply to all vessel traffic east of Hormuz strait
The US military has sent a note to seafarers warning that the blockade east of the strait of Hormuz will apply to all vessel traffic, regardless of flag, Reuters reports.
The blockade is scheduled to go into effect on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT).
“Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture,” the note said. “The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.”
Updated
Netanyahu: Israel supports Trump's naval blockade of Iran
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, said on Monday that Israel supports Donald Trump’s decision to impose a naval blockade on Iran and Tel Aviv is coordinating with Washington on the situation, AFP reports.
“Iran violated the rules (of the peace talks in Pakistan), President Trump decided to impose a naval blockade,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, according to a video statement released by his office.
“We, of course, support this firm position, and we are in constant coordination with the United States.”
US Central Command said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.
A poll from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has found that nearly two-thirds of Israelis oppose the Iran ceasefire, Reuters reports.
This poll was the first national survey of Israelis conducted after the US and Iran agreed last week to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. According to the poll, more than 61 percent of Israelis believe that the ceasefire should not extend to the fighting with Hezbollah. Although Iran and Pakistan have asserted that the ceasefire includes Lebanon, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said there was “no ceasefire in Lebanon”.
The poll found the public to be divided on whether Israel should respect the two-week truce or resume attacks on Iran – 39 percent said Israel should continue attacks, 41 percent said their country should respect the ceasefire and 19 percent said they weren’t sure.
Updated
Though Pope Leo said he has “no intention to debate” Donald Trump on Iran, he also said he plans on continuing to “speak out loudly against war”, Reuters reports.
“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems,” Leo told Reuters aboard a papal flight to Algiers for the pontiff’s first official trip to Africa.
“Too many people are suffering in the world today,” he said. “Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.“
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, is speaking about Iran, the strait of Hormuz and the impact the conflict is having on Europe’s energy prices.
We’ll have more details here in a bit. Watch her remarks here:
Updated
The Israeli military said on Monday that it has begun targeted ground operations in the Bint Jbeil area in southern Lebanon.
While Iran and Pakistan have asserted that the temporary Pakistani-brokered ceasefire that began last week included Lebanon, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said there was “no ceasefire in Lebanon” and Israel would continue “to strike Hezbollah with full force”.
Pope Leo says he has 'no intention to debate' with Trump over Iran
Pope Leo XIV on Monday told reporters that he has “no intention to debate” with Donald Trump after the US president posted a more than 300-word diatribe on social media accusing the pope of catering to the “Radical Left” and being “terrible” for foreign policy, AFP reports.
Over the weekend, Leo, the first US-born pope, entered the international political arena when he said prayer for peace is “a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive.”
On Monday, the pope had a simple message for reporters aboard the papal plane as they headed to Algeria for the pontiff’s first visit to Africa: “I am not a politician.”
“I have no intention to debate with (Trump),” Leo said. “The message is the same: to promote peace.”
On Sunday night, Trump posted on Truth Social that Leo was “Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons”.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela…And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump said.
In the same post, Trump added: “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” An hour after the intial statement, Trump posted an AI-generated image portraying him as Jesus, blessing an elderly man on a bed while a nurse and soldier gaze up at him in awe.
Updated
'We are not getting dragged into the war', says British PM
When pushed on Monday, UK prime minister Keir Starmer refused to take a harder stance on the conflict and speak out against Donald Trump.
When asked by BBC’s 5Live Breakfast on whether he held Trump responsible for the rising energy costs caused by the closure of the strait of Hormuz, Starmer said he blamed Iran, which began preventing ships and tankers from traversing the waterway in response to the US and Israel striking thousands of targets and killing dozens of the country’s most senior leaders.
“Where the blame lies, it’s Iran that has caused the restriction on traffic and vessels through the Gulf and they’re doing that in breach of international law,” Starmer said.
On Sunday Trump once again lashed out at the UK’s actions during the conflict and repeated a jibe that appeared to compare Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, who has long been criticised for following a policy of appeasement toward Adolf Hitler.
But Starmer refrained on Monday from responding to Trump’s jibes and instead reiterated his position that any UK action in the conflict will remain purely defensive and in protection of British lives and interest.
“My decision has been very clear that whatever the pressure – and there has been some considerable pressure – we are not getting dragged into the war. The UK is not getting dragged into the war,” Starmer said. “That is not in our national interest because I’m not going to act unless there’s a clear lawful basis and a clear thought-through plan.”
UK's Starmer: 'We're not supporting the blockade'
UK prime minister Keir Starmer on Monday reiterated his government’s position that the UK will not be involved in a blockade of the strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with BBC’s 5Live Breakfast, Starmer said all British efforts at the moment are focused on getting the strait fully open.
“All the time the strait is shut or not free for navigation in the way it should be, that means oil and gas is not getting to market, that means the price is going up and everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills,” Starmer said. “I don’t want that to happen. I want their energy bills to be stablised and lower.”
Donald Trump had previously said on Fox News that “it won’t take long to clean out the strait” and that “numerous countries are going to be helping us”, adding that the UK and other nations were sending minesweepers.
Starmer confirmed that while the UK does have minesweeping capability in the region, “all of the marshalling diplomatically, politically…that’s all focused on geting the strait fully open.”
For more, follow here for live updates on UK politics.
Updated
Nine people were killed and 13 wounded in an Israeli attack on the town of Tefahta in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the state-run National News Agency said.
Since 2 March, at least 2,055 people have been killed and 6,588 wounded in the conflict, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
Donald Trump launches extraordinary attack on Pope Leo calling him ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’
President Donald Trump has delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV, saying he didn’t think the US-born leader of the Catholic church was “doing a very good job” and that he was “a very liberal person”, while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left”.
Flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticise Leo, then kept it up in comments on the tarmac to reporters.
“I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said.
Trump’s comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran. While it’s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross-purposes, it’s exceedingly rare for the pope to criticise a US leader – and Trump’s stinging response is equally uncommon.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the president wrote in his post, adding: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
You can read our full report here:
Oil price rises back over $100 a barrel after Trump announces naval blockade of strait of Hormuz
Donald Trump’s threat to impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz has driven the oil price back over $100 a barrel again, as hopes of an end to the conflict soon take another knock.
My colleagues on the business desk are covering the impact over in our business live blog.
You can read their coverage here:
We also have this explainer here:
Interim summary
If you’re just tuning in to today’s live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran, here’s the latest to bring you up to speed. It’s 9.30am in Tehran, 9am in Tel Aviv and Beirut and 2am in Washington DC.
Donald Trump has said he doesn’t care if Iran comes back to negotiations with the US after the weekend talks in Pakistan ended without a deal. “I don’t care if they come back or not,” Trump told reporters in Maryland on Sunday. “If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”
Trump said earlier that the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and also prohibit every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. US Central Command said later it would begin a blockade of all Iranian Gulf ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10am ET (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that “approaching military vessels to the strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire”.
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf taunted Trump on X, saying in a post: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.” Earlier he said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation: “If you fight, we will fight … We will not bow to any threats.”
Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the Hormuz strait, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.
Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, saying he was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy”, was catering to the left and was “hurting the Catholic church”. Leo should “focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician”, the president said on Truth Social. The attack came after Leo denounced a “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence said “all traffic” through the strait of Hormuz stopped after Trump announced the US naval blockade. It said two vessels that were leaving the strait turned around after the post.
Trump’s threatened blockade could boost oil prices by $5 to $10 a barrel, estimates Michael Lynch, a distinguished fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation.
More than 32 million people worldwide could be plunged into poverty by the economic fallout from the Iran war, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest. The UN Development Programme said in a report that the world was facing a “triple shock” involving energy, food and weaker economic growth, reports Richard Partington.
Trump reiterated his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if no deal was reached to end the war.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said negotiations to stop the war should resume quickly, as the country called for the full reopening of the Hormuz strait and free navigation for all nations.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images coming in from the Middle East amid the countdown to the US naval blockade on Monday.
Circling back to Donald Trump’s coming naval blockade, the US military said it would block all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 10am ET on Monday (5.30pm in Iran and 1400 GMT), effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the strait of Hormuz.
“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” US Central Command said on X.
The US would “not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports”, it added.
The move was a step back from Trump’s original vow to entirely blockade the strait, with early reports indicating ships had stopped crossing the waterway.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Iranian security forces had full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned enemies would be trapped in a “deadly vortex” in case of any “wrong move”, Agence France-Presse reports.
Iran’s navy chief, Shahram Irani, called Trump’s threat “ridiculous and funny”, according to state TV, adding the country’s military was “monitoring and supervising all the movements” of the US army in the region.
Updated
The failure of negotiations to end the US-Israeli war against Iran has unleashed a barrage of starkly partisan political responses in the US, with leading Republicans calling for Donald Trump to “finish the job” while top Democrats warned that it would be disastrous for the president to resume hostilities.
The former UN ambassador during Trump’s first presidency, Nikki Haley, led the Republican charge, telling CNN on Sunday that the current two-week ceasefire was a test of nerves. She said:
This is like a game of chicken. It’s who caves first. The Iranian regime is hoping that Trump will cave. Today, he showed he’s not.”
She said the US could launch a relatively quick special forces operation to seize Iran’s stash of enriched uranium in order to prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons.
Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate’s intelligence committee, fiercely rebutted Haley, telling CNN that attempting to seize Iran’s 1,000lb [454kg] canisters of highly volatile enriched uranium would be “very, very dangerous”.
It would take 10,000 troops on the ground guarding a perimeter. We’d have to send special operators in, and the Iranians could then bomb their own facility, potentially trapping our troops.”
Meanwhile, as well as announcing a blockade of the strait of Hormuz, Trump threatened to bomb Iran’s water treatment facilities and its power plants and bridges – repeating an earlier threat – if Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons programme.
There’s more on this and the day’s other key Trump administration stories here:
Updated
Australia’s prime minister says peace negotiations to end the growing Middle East war should resume quickly, as the country called for the full reopening of the strait of Hormuz and free navigation for all nations.
Hours after Donald Trump said he would institute a US blockade of the strategic waterway, Anthony Albanese urged Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations in Pakistan.
The PM said:
We want to see the strait of Hormuz opened and with freedom of navigation taking place, so obviously, the lack of a resolution in the negotiations that took place on the weekend were disappointing.
We want to see de-escalation and we want to see those negotiations resumed.”
Navy chief V Adm Mark Hammond, who has been named the Australian defence forces’ new chief starting from July, said Australian forces would be ready to contributing to an international effort to reopen the strait, if the government made a decision to assist.
“The navy is ready as it ever has been,” Hammond said.
The navy’s major combatant ships were “fitted with one of the most advanced radars in the world ... and some of the most advanced missile-engagement systems in the world”.
Trump has name-checked Australia as among countries not assisting with the US war effort, even as he insisted no help was required.
Albanese stressed the Australian government’s view was that the ceasefire should extend to Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.
Updated
Iran war could plunge 32 million into poverty, says UN
More than 32 million people worldwide could be plunged into poverty by the economic fallout from the Iran war, with developing countries expected to be hit hardest.
In a report issued amid doubts over a fragile ceasefire, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the world was facing a “triple shock” involving energy, food and weaker economic growth, reports the Guardian’s Richard Partington.
The agency tasked with tackling poverty said the conflict was reversing gains in international development, with the impact expected be felt unevenly across regions.
Alexander De Croo, administrator of the UNDP and former prime minister of Belgium, said:
A conflict like this is development in reverse. Even if the war stops, and a ceasefire is obviously very very welcome, but the impact is already there.
You will see an enduring impact, especially in the poorer countries, where you push people back into poverty.”
Energy prices have surged since the first US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran, and Iran’s closure of the strait of Hormuz has choked global oil and gas supplies to the world economy. With a knock-on impact on fertiliser supplies and global shipping, experts warn that a “food security timebomb” has been set for the developing world.
See the full report here:
Updated
Strait of Hormuz blockade explained: why is Trump threatening it now and how will it work?
Reports indicate that the reopening of the strait was one of the major sticking points in the weekend negotiations between the US and Iran. Tehran has indicated it would like to retain control of the waterway after the war has finished, and has floated a plan to charge a fee of up to $2m a ship to transit through the waterway. Donald Trump and other world leaders have rejected such a plan as an attack on “freedom of navigation”.
Despite the US president’s claims that reopening the waterway is not his responsibility, he is under pressure to resolve the issue before the continued closure of the strait unleashes an even greater crisis for the global economy.
If Trump’s strategy succeeds, he will eliminate Iran’s greatest point of leverage in negotiations and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil prices.
The US military has not offered many details yet, including how many warships will enforce it, whether warplanes will be used and whether any Gulf allies will assist in the effort.
Experts say it’s unlikely the US military will fire missiles or other weapons at vessels, given the risk of an environmental disaster. The most likely option is the US navy will try to force them to change course through threats – and if that doesn’t work, they will launch armed boarding parties to take physical control of the ships, experts say.
“Trump wants a quick fix,” says Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration and now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long-term.”
Donald Trump’s threatened blockade could boost oil prices by $5 to $10 a barrel, estimates Michael Lynch, a distinguished fellow at the Energy Policy Research Foundation.
The blockade would take an estimated 2m barrels of oil per day off the market, and the Iran war had already taken roughly 10m barrels a day out of supply, Lynch said.
This is a pretty big insult to a pretty big injury, I guess, is the way to put it.”
But Lynch said the blockade might be short-lived as Trump would be pressured to walk it back.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see him to give it up by midweek, especially if oil prices keep going up.”
Brent crude oil – the international standard – has gone from roughly $70 a barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.
Updated
Lloyd’s List Intelligence has said “all traffic” through the strait of Hormuz stopped after Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US would blockade the waterway. It said two vessels that were leaving the strait turned around after the post.
A trickle of traffic had returned to the strait in the days since the US and Iran agreed to pause the conflict. Three supertankers fully laden with oil passed through the strait on Saturday, shipping data showed. In normal times up to 140 vessels transit through the waterway.
Updated
Trump: 'I don't care' if Iran doesn't return to negotiations
Donald Trump has said he doesn’t care if Iran comes back to negotiations with the US after the weekend talks in Pakistan ended without a deal.
“I don’t care if they come back or not,” Trump was quoted as telling reporters on Sunday at Joint Base Andrews military base in Maryland on his return from Florida.
If they don’t come back, I’m fine.”
More here on Donald Trump tearing into Pope Leo XIV, branding him “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and claiming he is hurting the Catholic church.
The US president also posted on his Truth Social platform that it was only because he was president that the US-born Leo became pope.
I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!
Trump also said in his post:
Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me…
Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!
Trump’s attack came after the pontiff denounced a “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.
Leo also presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday as the US-Iran talks began in Pakistan amid the fragile ceasefire, the Associated Press reports
The pope didn’t mention the US or Trump by name in his prayer but the pontiff’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have boasted of US military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.
Trump spoke to reporters in Maryland soon after his social media post and said: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job,” adding that “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo”.
Updated
Opening summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its consequences for the wider region, the world and the global economy.
Here are the main developments:
Trump said the US Navy would start blockading the Hormuz strait and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. In a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform, the president said the US was going to start “BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
In another post Trump also claimed Iran had “knowingly failed” to make good on its promise to open the strait, causing “anxiety” and “pain” for many countries around the world.
US Central Command (Centcom) announced it would begin its blockade of the strait beginning Monday morning. “Centcom forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10am ET [1400 GMT], in accordance with the president’s proclamation.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that “approaching military vessels to the strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire”.
Oil prices rose in early market trading after Trump’s blockade announcement. The price of US crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil – the international standard – rose 7% to $102.29. Australia’s share market dropped sharply on Monday morning.
Donald Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the US blockade of the strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing officials and people familiar with the situation.
Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, saying he was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and was hurting the Catholic church. “Leo should get his act together as Pope,” the president said on Truth Social. The attack came after Leo denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” as fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said his government had not been asked to participate in any US blockade of the strait of Hormuz and that he wanted to see negotiations between the US and Iran continue.
Trump reiterated his threat to destroy Iran’s power plants and other civilian energy infrastructure if no deal was reached to end the war, which he started with Israel in what is widely seen as an illegal and unprovoked attack. “I could take out Iran in one day,” he told Fox News on Sunday.
Trump also said the US didn’t need the strait. “We don’t get our oil from there. We have so much oil,” he told Fox. “We have boats pouring up to the United States … We don’t need the strait.”
Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led the Tehran side in the US talks, said Trump’s new threats would have no effect on the Iranian nation. “If you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic. We will not bow to any threats.” He later taunted Trump on X, posting: “Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called ‘blockade’, Soon you’ll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas.”
Updated
