Trump

President Donald Trump is renewing his criticism of Pope Leo XIV. This is potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making this week to the Vatican. In an interview, Trump said the first American-born pontiff believes “it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.” The pope, however, has not said Iran should obtain nuclear weapons. And Leo responded to Trump’s latest criticism by calling out the U.S. president’s misrepresentation of his views. Trump’s latest comments may make Rubio’s task more difficult when he sees the pontiff on Thursday. Rubio has often been called on to tone down or explain Trump’s harsh rhetoric as it relates to Europe, NATO and the Middle East.

The U.S. military fired on an Iranian oil tanker as President Donald Trump sought to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal to end the war. The military said in a social media post that a fighter jet shot out the rudder of the tanker Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman as the vessel tried to breach the American blockade of Iran’s ports. The attack occurred as Iran and the U.S. are officially in a ceasefire. Trump threatened Tehran with a new wave of bombing if a deal is not reached that includes opening the critical Strait of Hormuz. The president posted on social media that the two-month war could soon end.