U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that the American military had begun a blockade of Iranian ports as part of his effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept a deal to end the war that has raged for more than six weeks.
Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries.
That set the stage for an extraordinary showdown that posed serious risks for the global economy and raised the specter that the ceasefire could collapse and the war could resume. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — failed to reach an agreement this past weekend. There has been no word on whether negotiations will resume.
—The Associated Press
Pope Leo XIV meets the Algerian Community in the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, Monday, April 13, 2026, on the first day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Trump says he won’t apologize to Pope Leo, explains his reason for posting much-criticized meme
President Donald Trump refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV on Monday after criticizing the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran — and he sought to explain away a now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image was of him as a doctor.
“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 said, adding, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things so I’m not” going to apologize.
That response followed Leo pushing back on Trump’s broadside against him the previous evening, 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.
—The Associated Press
Judge dismisses Trump’s $10B lawsuit against WSJ, Murdoch over reporting on ties to Epstein
A federal judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch on Monday over a story on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles in Florida wrote in the order that Trump had failed to make the argument that the article was published with the intent to be malicious, but gave the president a chance to file an amended complaint.
In a social media post several hours after the ruling, Trump said the decision “is not a termination” but rather a “suggested re-filing” of his “powerful case,” which Trump said would be done “on or before April 27th.” A spokesperson for Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal, said the organization was “pleased” with the judge’s decision, adding, “We stand behind the reliability, rigor and accuracy of The Wall Street Journal’s reporting.”
—The Associated Press
Iran war expected to have ripple effects on U.S. supply chain, experts say
As the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz escalates, international trade experts say the effects are likely to be multifaceted and long lasting. With the Iran war now in its 45th day, escalating tensions amid a fragile ceasefire and failed peace talks, repercussions to the U.S. economy are only beginning to hit.
“The Middle East, and therefore the world, has changed permanently, and even if we try to go back to where we were, it simply won’t be possible,” Jerrold D. Green, Pacific Council on International Policy president emeritus and senior fellow for the Middle East and South Asia, said Monday during a news briefing at the Port of Los Angeles.
“This is a serious problem,” he said. “It looks Middle Eastern. It’s absolutely global in scope.”
—Spectrum News’ Susan Carpenter
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