The US military announced it will begin a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, tempering Trump’s earlier vow to entirely block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as early reports indicated that ships had stopped crossing the waterway.
The move has set the stage for a showdown as Iran responded with threats on ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. “Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE,” according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, IRIB. “NO PORT in the region will be safe,” the Iranian military said.
U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on Trump’s broadside against him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesn’t fear the Trump administration.
Ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran ended in the early hours of Sunday without an agreement, raising questions about what happens when the current two-week truce expires on April 22. As the talks wrapped up in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, both sides blamed each other for the failure.










