Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has condemned US President Donald Trump’s remarks in the ongoing dispute with Pope Leo. In a message posted on social media platform X, Pezeshkian expressed support for the Pope and denounced what he described as an insult. He stated that the disrespect toward Jesus, a symbol of peace and brotherhood, is unacceptable to any free-minded person. Pezeshkian also prayed for the Pope’s continued honor and dignity.

Earlier, Pope Leo had responded to Trump’s criticism, saying that the Vatican’s call for peace and reconciliation on the Iran–US–Israel issue was based on biblical teachings. The exchange has drawn attention from international media, with BBC and CBS News reporting on the development.

The incident has renewed diplomatic tension between the United States and the Vatican, sparking broader discussions in global forums about the implications for interfaith and international relations.

Iran has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration about blocking the Strait of Hormuz as a bluff. The statement came from a spokesperson of Iran’s parliamentary national security commission, who said the threat does not align with reality and could further complicate the situation. Security official Ebrahim Rezaei warned that Tehran is prepared to respond if the situation turns military.

In a post on X, Rezaei added that such decisions would destabilize global markets and hinted that Iran possesses strategies not yet deployed but could be used if necessary. The report, cited by CBS News through BBC’s U.S. partner, highlighted growing tensions between the United States and Iran over the strategic waterway.

The escalating rhetoric has raised concerns that the standoff around the Strait of Hormuz could intensify, affecting regional stability and global trade routes, according to the report.

The United States has officially begun a naval blockade to halt all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports. According to the U.S. military, the blockade took effect at 14:00 GMT. The move has drawn widespread international criticism, including from several U.S. allies, following reports by Al Jazeera. A U.S. official stated that the military is prepared to enforce and maintain the blockade but has not yet defined procedures for potential violations.

Iran has condemned the action as illegal under international maritime law and described it as an act of piracy. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that any warship approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be treated as a breach of the current ceasefire. The blockade comes at a time when the strait, a key global energy route, has previously faced closures under Iranian leadership.

The move has received little support from U.S. allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom does not support the blockade, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of restoring freedom of navigation.

Tehran University researcher Mohammad Eslami has described any potential US move to block Iran’s ports as extremely difficult and risky. He said halting tankers and supertankers across such vast waterways would pose a major operational challenge for the US military. According to Eslami, Iran would take any such action very seriously.

Eslami emphasized that Iran is already under intense military and economic pressure from the United States and Israel, and it does not want disruptions to the supply of food and other essential goods. He added that Tehran seeks to send a strong message to Washington, even as most parties are looking for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Commenting on the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz, Eslami said it would be a very significant step for both sides, potentially making the situation more complex and dangerous.

Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization has reported that 3,375 people have been killed in the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel. The organization’s head, Abbas Masjedi, stated that the deaths were identified through scientific and specialized methods during what he described as an imposed war. The information was cited by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, according to AFP.

Masjedi detailed that among the dead, 2,875 were men and 496 were women, but he did not specify how many were adults or children. The report underscores the difficulty of verifying the true number of casualties in Iran due to restricted access to affected areas and limitations on independent reporting.

AFP noted that it could not independently confirm the casualty figures because of the challenges in gathering information from the sites of the attacks.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that Americans will soon miss $4 or $5 gasoline following the United States’ announcement to blockade Iranian ports around the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, Ghalibaf said Americans should enjoy current fuel prices while they last, suggesting that the US decision could drive oil prices higher.

The statement came as Iran reiterated it would not yield to US threats. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s navy also cautioned that any military vessel approaching the waterway would face strong action. The remarks followed former US president Donald Trump’s declaration to block all ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that has drawn international criticism.

The exchange underscores rising tensions over the strategic waterway, which is critical for global oil transport. The situation has prompted reactions from multiple global actors, including Russia and the Vatican, emphasizing the potential for broader geopolitical consequences.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran came 'very close' to reaching a potential agreement with the United States during talks held in Islamabad. He said Iran entered the discussions with goodwill, but the negotiations collapsed due to Washington’s refusal to make concessions, repeated changes in stance, and multiple forms of pressure.

In a social media post, Araghchi described the meeting as the highest-level dialogue between the two countries in 47 years, aimed at ending the ongoing war. He said Iran was only 'inches away' from signing the 'Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding' before encountering obstacles. Araghchi added that goodwill should be met with goodwill, while hostility only breeds hostility.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed Araghchi’s remarks, saying diplomatic progress with Washington remains possible if the United States abandons what he called an 'authoritarian' attitude and respects Iran’s rights.

The United States military announced that it will begin blocking all Iranian ports starting Monday. According to the US Central Command, the blockade will start at 10 a.m. local time in Iran, equivalent to 2 p.m. GMT and 8 p.m. Bangladesh time. The military clarified that ships transiting through the Strait of Hormuz to other countries will not be obstructed. US President Donald Trump said he ordered the move in response to what he called Iran’s deliberate failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Iran will not bow to threats. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that any military vessel approaching the Strait of Hormuz would be considered a violation of the current ceasefire. The situation follows the collapse of peace talks in Pakistan, which Trump said failed because Iran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Following the announcement, global oil prices surged above 100 dollars per barrel, reflecting market fears of supply disruptions linked to the new blockade.

Iran’s armed forces have condemned the United States’ announced blockade of ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, describing it as illegal and an act of piracy. The statement, reported Monday by Iran’s state media IRIB, asserted that these ports must remain open to all or closed to all, emphasizing Iran’s right to defend its legal and territorial sovereignty.

The Iranian military declared that hostile vessels would not be allowed to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while other ships could transit if they complied with Tehran’s regulations. The statement also said that a permanent system would be established to maintain control over this vital waterway amid ongoing threats against the nation.

Iran further warned that if the security of any of its ports was compromised, no other port in the region would remain safe. The statement concluded that US-imposed restrictions on international maritime movement were unlawful and amounted to piracy.

Zohreh Kharazmi, an associate professor of World Studies at the University of Tehran, stated that US President Trump's threats regarding control of the Hormuz Strait will not alter Iran's negotiating stance. She argued that discussions about blocking the strait reflect a broader debate on resilience, noting that Iran recently sold 150 million barrels of oil and expanded ties with various countries to meet basic needs.

Kharazmi asserted that the United States is overestimating its ability to pressure Iran into changing its position. She emphasized that Iran is fully prepared for counterattacks and that control over the Hormuz Strait forms the core of the region's emerging security structure. She also suggested that a shift from the petrodollar to the petroyuan could bring significant global changes.

According to Kharazmi, Washington lacks the capacity to alter Tehran’s firm determination, underscoring Iran’s confidence in maintaining its strategic stance despite external pressure.

Iran’s navy chief Rear Admiral Shahram Irani has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a naval blockade around the Strait of Hormuz as “extremely ridiculous.” In a statement published by Iranian media on April 13, 2026, Irani said that Iran’s naval forces are closely monitoring every movement of U.S. fleets in the region.

According to the report, Iran restricted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after a joint U.S.-Israeli offensive began on February 28. Tehran has allowed ships from allied nations to pass but banned vessels linked to what it calls aggressive states and their supporters. Iran’s parliament is also advancing a draft law to impose transit fees in the national currency and to prohibit U.S. and Israeli ships entirely.

The Iranian health ministry reported that since February 28, joint force attacks have killed 2,076 people and injured more than 26,000. A U.S. cruise missile strike on a primary school in Minab on the same day killed 168 students, according to the ministry.

Iranian authorities have stated that the United States must take greater initiative if any agreement is to be reached to end the ongoing war. The government also called on its supporters to maintain control of the streets. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that during lengthy talks in Islamabad on Saturday, the U.S. delegation failed to gain the trust of the Iranian side.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking any ships attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the U.S. military was fully armed and ready to act against Iran. Iran’s judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei praised the delegation for defending the rights of government supporters, including paramilitary groups that have been gathering nightly for over six weeks in Tehran and other cities.

Several Iranian lawmakers expressed satisfaction that the talks produced no results, asserting that Iran holds an advantageous position in the conflict. Deputy Speaker Hamidreza Haji-Babai said only a UN resolution signaling U.S. surrender and lifting sanctions on Iran would be acceptable to the regime’s street supporters.

High-level peace talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad ended without any agreement, with Tehran blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for derailing the process. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a phone call from Netanyahu to US Vice President JD Vance during the 21-hour meeting disrupted progress toward a potential deal.

In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi claimed that Netanyahu’s call shifted the focus of the talks from US-Iran issues to Israel’s interests. He further alleged that Washington sought to achieve at the negotiating table what it had failed to gain through conflict. The discussions were held under Pakistan’s mediation, and Araghchi described Vance’s subsequent press conference as unnecessary.

Iran reiterated its commitment to protecting its national interests and sovereignty. The White House has neither confirmed nor denied the reported phone call between Netanyahu and Vance.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Tehran came 'very close' to a possible agreement with the United States during discussions held in Islamabad last weekend. In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, Araghchi said Iran participated in the talks with goodwill, aiming to bring an end to the ongoing war.

According to Araghchi, while both sides were only 'a few inches' away from reaching an understanding, Tehran faced obstacles due to the other party’s rigid stance, shifting objectives, and imposed restrictions. The minister did not specify the exact nature of the talks or the issues under discussion.

The statement highlights continuing diplomatic engagement between Iran and the United States, though the outcome remains uncertain given the described challenges during the Islamabad meeting.

Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump’s threat of a naval blockade, warning that any such attempt would end in failure. Mohsen Rezaei, senior military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said the United States would face another historic defeat if it tried to block the Strait of Hormuz. He asserted that Iran’s armed forces would not allow any blockade to succeed.

The statement came after President Trump recently announced plans for a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. Rezaei added that Iran possesses “unused capabilities” sufficient to counter any threat and criticized the United States for trying to pressure Iran through tweets and imaginary plans.

Earlier, Trump claimed that peace talks with Islamabad had failed because Iran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions, further intensifying the strategic standoff in the region.