Iran obtaining a nuclear bomb is totally unacceptable: Trump

US President Donald Trump has once again made a strong statement against Pope Leo, saying that Iran should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
According to foreign media, on the social media platform Truth Social, Donald Trump stated that someone should tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 unarmed and innocent protesters over the past two months, and it is absolutely unacceptable for Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. Reports suggest that Trump's statement came at a time when two days earlier, Trump had termed Pope Leo as weak on crime and a failure in foreign policy.
The US President's remarks came at a time when Pope Leo, who is the first American-born Pope, had strongly criticized the war imposed on Iran by the US and Israel. In response to Trump's remarks, the Pope said he was not afraid of the Trump administration and would continue to raise his voice against the atrocities of war.
Speaking in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer said that what Trump is calling 'Operation Epic Fury' has actually turned out to be an 'Epic Failure'. He said that even 45 days after the war began, the situation has not improved but has worsened instead. Chuck Schumer highlighted the gravity of the situation, saying that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is still in place, gas prices in the global market are skyrocketing, Iran's nuclear program has become more active, and the US reputation has been severely damaged worldwide.
The Democratic Senator demanded that Congress should strictly hold the government accountable and regularly introduce resolutions on the matter to ensure the administration's accountability. Attacking Trump's personality, Chuck Schumer further said that by insulting the Pope, Trump has sunk to a new low in terms of ethics. He sarcastically said that a person who claims to be a fan of the Bible and considers it his favorite book cannot even recite a single verse from it.
The US Department of the Treasury announced on Tuesday that it will not extend the temporary easing of sanctions on Iranian oil. The easing was aimed at reducing the disruption in oil supply caused by the war.
The Department of the Treasury said in a statement that the short-term exemption allowing the sale of Iranian oil at sea will expire in a few days and will not be renewed. The statement further said that the US is committed to maintaining 'maximum pressure' on Tehran. Initially, the exemption allowed the transportation and sale of Iranian crude oil and other petroleum products loaded onto ships before March 20, which is set to expire on April 19.
This move is part of the measures taken by the Trump administration to control rising energy prices after the war started on February 28, which also included a similar easing of sanctions on Russian oil. Iran has blocked the movement of ships from the Strait of Hormuz in response to US and Israeli attacks, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas supply passes.
The Trump administration's stance is that it is exerting maximum pressure on Iran due to its nuclear program and its supported groups in the Middle East, however, despite sanctions, Iranian oil sales to China continue. The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said that any sanctions imposed on Iran regarding uranium enrichment would be a political decision.
According to foreign media, IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi said that under any potential deal with the US, the duration of sanctions imposed on Iran regarding uranium enrichment would be a political rather than a technical decision. Grossi said that determining how long Iran will refrain from enrichment will depend on the political strategy and negotiations of the parties involved. It is clear that the talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad last week ended without any result, with no agreement on key differences.