Trump deletes portrait as Jesus Christ figure - after feud with Pope over Iran — BBC News

[0:00] Now, there's been widespread condemnation after Donald Trump posted on social media [0:04] an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure. [0:08] He's also been criticising the Pope, who's been critical of the Iran war. [0:13] Pope Leo says he's not afraid of the Trump administration, [0:16] and the social media picture has now been deleted. [0:19] Ali Makboul, our religion editor, has that story. [0:21] The U.S. president bathed in golden light, apparently healing a sick man. [0:29] Many saw the image as blasphemous. [0:31] Donald Trump has now deleted it, but said he wasn't trying to be Jesus. [0:37] I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, [0:42] which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one. [0:48] Overnight, the president did also launch a scathing verbal attack on the Pope. [0:53] I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. [0:56] He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime. [1:02] He's a man that doesn't think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon [1:09] so they can blow up the world. [1:11] I'm not a fan of Pope Leo. [1:15] It's all come because of the Pope's clear and vocal opposition to the war in Iran. [1:20] Throughout recent weeks, including in his Easter message, he's talked of unjustifiable civilian deaths. [1:28] On a flight starting a trip to Africa, Pope Leo was asked for his response to the president's posts and insults. [1:36] I do not look at my role as being a political politician. [1:40] I don't want to get into what to make with him. [1:43] I don't think that the message of the gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. [1:49] And I will continue to speak out loud against war, looking to promote peace. [1:55] Donald Trump's now said Pope Leo was only elected because of him. [1:59] He posted this image during the conclave last year. [2:02] But there are suggestions that in this confrontation, even some of his supporters think he's gone too far. [2:10] Ali Mabool, BBC News. [2:12] American warships are now enforcing a blockade of maritime traffic, entering and leaving all Iranian ports, including via the Strait of Hormuz. [2:23] The aim to stop Iran's oil exports after the breakdown of peace talks at the weekend. [2:28] Tehran has threatened to retaliate. [2:30] But Donald Trump has warned that if Iran tries to breach the blockade with so-called fast attack ships, they'll be eliminated. [2:37] All this, of course, comes in the middle of what's supposed to be a two-week ceasefire. [2:41] Well, since the start of the war, six weeks ago, only ships given permission by Iran have been able to sail through the narrow but vitally important shipping channel. [2:52] It's meant Iran has continued to sell its own oil freely, while neighbouring Gulf states have struggled, affecting global prices. [2:59] James Landale, our diplomatic correspondent, has the very latest. [3:02] For weeks, the Strait of Hormuz has been largely closed to shipping, their owners unwilling to risk Iranian attack. [3:11] But now America is imposing its own blockade. [3:14] U.S. commanders say any vessels leaving or entering Iranian ports risk interception, diversion and capture. [3:24] Donald Trump said that also included Iran's fast attack ships. [3:28] If any of these ships come anywhere close to our blockade, he wrote, they will be immediately eliminated. [3:36] Right now we have a blockade. [3:38] They're doing no business. [3:40] I didn't like seeing boats come out if they were doing business with Iran. [3:44] But if they weren't, no boats came out. [3:45] So now they're doing, Iran is doing absolutely no business. [3:49] And we're going to keep it that way very easily. [3:51] Israel's prime minister told his cabinet he backed the blockade. [3:56] But elsewhere, the U.S. had little support. [3:59] Welcome to the statement, prime minister. [4:02] Sir Keir Starmer told MPs the U.K. would take no part in the U.S. action [4:07] and called instead for freedom of navigation to be restored to sustain what he called the highly fragile ceasefire. [4:14] My guide from the start of this conflict has always been our national interest. [4:23] That's why we stayed out of the war and why we continue to stay out of the war. [4:29] And that is why we are working now to restore freedom of navigation in the Middle East, [4:34] because that is squarely in our national interest. [4:38] To that end, he said he'd co-host a summit with France this week [4:42] to discuss plans to keep the strait open after the war ends. [4:46] The U.S. blockade came after talks at the weekend in Pakistan ended without agreement, [4:52] the U.S. trying now to put fresh economic pressure on Iran [4:56] by choking off its energy exports that have continued throughout the war. [5:04] On Iranian state TV, a presenter quoted a military spokesman saying [5:08] no port in the Gulf would be safe if Iran's ports were attacked. [5:12] America's restriction on the movement of maritime vessels in international waters [5:18] is, he said, an illegal act and an example of piracy. [5:25] Tonight, regime supporters were out on the streets of Tehran. [5:30] America's hoping they won't be quite so supportive [5:33] once the economic blockade begins to bite. [5:37] James Landell, BBC News. [5:38] So, how effective could the U.S. blockade be? [5:44] Here's our security correspondent, Frank Gardner. [5:47] This is Sepa Navy Station. [5:49] You must alter course and go back to the Indian Ocean immediately. [5:54] If you don't obey my order, you will be targeted. [5:58] Out. [6:05] A standoff last weekend between two navies, Iran and the U.S. [6:09] It passed off peacefully, [6:11] but the Iranian partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz [6:14] is an escalating crisis. [6:18] Iran has stopped 2,000 tankers from exiting the Strait. [6:22] It's threatened to charge tankers a toll, [6:24] while allowing Iranian oil tankers freedom of movement. [6:28] In response, the U.S. blockade is focusing on Iranian ports, [6:33] hoping to pressure Iran by bottling up its cargo ships. [6:37] It's warned off Iran's ships from entering the Strait [6:40] or risk possible interception, diversion or capture by the U.S. Navy. [6:45] This is how few ships are getting through the Strait, [6:49] just four since midnight. [6:52] Iran has a lot of Gulf ports, [6:54] but the U.S. Navy only needs to wait offshore, [6:57] out in the Arabian Sea, [6:58] pretty similar, in fact, [6:59] to what the U.S. did off Venezuela last year. [7:02] We can pick the location to minimize the risk to force. [7:06] We can pick the targets to minimize the kind of risk to mission, [7:09] make sure we're getting the right ones. [7:11] We don't have to take every ship. [7:12] You just have to take enough ships, seize them, hold them, [7:17] take their cargo, take the ship. [7:19] This recent social media post from Iran regime supporters [7:24] shows how President Trump's actions and Iran's reaction [7:28] have driven up the oil price. [7:31] Iran's parliamentary speaker has tweeted a warning. [7:34] With this blockade, he said, [7:35] those petrol pump prices are about to go a whole lot higher. [7:39] Frank Gardner, BBC News. [7:41] Chris Mason is live at Westminster [7:44] and Sarah Smith is in Washington. [7:46] To you, Sarah, first, [7:47] the aim, one assumes, of the U.S. blockade [7:50] is to choke off Iranian funds bankrolling their war effort? [7:56] Yeah, exactly. [7:57] It is designed to heat the pressure on Iran [8:00] to try to force them to agree to a deal [8:03] that's acceptable to the United States, [8:04] which is what they couldn't achieve [8:06] in those talks in Pakistan at the weekend. [8:09] And we heard from Donald Trump a little bit earlier here, [8:11] reiterating what he wants to get out of any deal. [8:14] He said that actually quite a lot was agreed [8:17] between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend, [8:19] but where it all came unstuck was over the nuclear issue [8:23] and his absolute determination [8:25] that Iran never be able to develop a nuclear weapon. [8:28] He said they couldn't get agreement on that. [8:30] And Donald Trump wants to get his hands [8:32] on all of the enriched uranium inside Iran, [8:35] which could be used to build a nuclear weapon. [8:37] He wants Iran to hand that over. [8:39] And he says if they don't agree to hand it over, [8:41] then the U.S. may go in and get it. [8:43] But he did sound optimistic about the possibility of a deal. [8:48] He said they'd already had a call from the other side, [8:51] as he put it, meaning it ran today. [8:53] And he said they very badly wanted to do a deal. [8:56] So he thinks that the conditions are there [8:58] for something to be achieved. [9:01] But he sounded optimistic about this before, [9:03] and we aren't there yet. [9:05] Chris, to you at Westminster, [9:07] the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, [9:08] she's been speaking to the U.S. Vice President. [9:11] But the U.K. isn't actually involved in the blockade. [9:14] What does that mean for transatlantic relations? [9:17] Well, it's a curious twist, Clive, [9:18] at the heart of all of this. [9:20] We've seen, haven't we, in the last couple of weeks, [9:22] the barrage of barbs from the President [9:24] in the direction of the Prime Minister. [9:26] The Prime Minister also being increasingly punchy [9:29] in his public language, describing the President. [9:32] And yet, the relationship between the two men's deputies [9:36] is very warm and civil, and it's happening face-to-face. [9:41] So we can show you this picture tonight from Washington. [9:44] David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, [9:45] meeting J.D. Vance, the Vice President. [9:49] For a meeting lasting around about 45 minutes, I'm told. [9:51] There was also a separate meeting that the Deputy Prime Minister had [9:55] with the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. [9:58] And this relationship between the two deputies is longstanding. [10:02] They first got to know each other [10:03] when the Vice President was first elected to the U.S. Senate, [10:07] when the Deputy Prime Minister was an opposition MP. [10:09] Last summer, the two families shared time together [10:12] at Chevening in Kent [10:13] during the Vice President's holiday in the U.K. [10:16] So what was discussed? [10:18] Yes, we know they talked about the Strait of Hormuz. [10:20] Yes, we also know they talked about Ukraine. [10:23] But the detail a little thin, perhaps inevitable, [10:26] given that there is that public disagreement. [10:28] The Prime Minister saying the U.K. will not be getting involved [10:32] in America's blockade. [10:33] The leaders might not be getting on too well. [10:36] The deputies are, though. [10:38] All right. [10:38] Chris Mason at Westminster, Sarah Smith in Washington. [10:41] Many thanks. [10:43] Well, the international price of oil has edged up again [10:46] after the breakdown of those U.S.-Iran talks at the weekend. [10:49] The barrel is currently trading at just under $100. [10:53] Simon Jack is with me. [10:55] Just under $100. [10:56] Given a blockade, given everything that's going on, [10:59] that doesn't seem too horrific. [11:00] You're right, Clive. [11:01] Edged up is the right word. [11:03] The usual pattern here is you get an escalation like this. [11:06] Oil price rockets, stock markets tumble. [11:08] But that hasn't really happened. [11:10] If you have a quick look at this, [11:11] this is the price of oil we've seen [11:13] since the beginning of the conflict. [11:14] A big rise there. [11:15] And you saw that massive fall [11:17] when they announced the ceasefire. [11:19] And it's edged up again. [11:20] And yes, it's risen, but it's under $100. [11:23] And stock markets actually rose. [11:25] Why? [11:25] Well, here's what I'm hearing. [11:26] Headline fatigue is a phrase I've heard today. [11:29] Here one, here another. [11:31] Will this blockade work? [11:32] How will it work? [11:32] Is it legal? [11:34] It was only a trickle anyway [11:35] that was actually getting out. [11:36] So the total amount of oil getting out of there [11:38] was pretty small. [11:40] And also, most of it was going to China. [11:42] A lot of people seeing this as a way [11:43] they get significant imports from Iran, China, [11:46] getting them, putting pressure on China [11:48] to put pressure on Iran [11:49] to bring them back to the table. [11:51] And despite the rhetoric, [11:53] the ceasefire between Iran and the US [11:55] is largely holding. [11:56] Now, a lot of key commodities can't get through, [11:59] including fertilizer ingredients, [12:00] refined jet fuel, diesel. [12:01] There's a possible shortage of that [12:03] in the coming weeks. [12:04] But it looks pretty calm. [12:06] Here in the UK, oil, petrol and diesel prices, [12:10] again, they rose for the 43rd day in a row. [12:13] £1.58 for unleaded, £1.91 for diesel. [12:17] But only a very slight change on yesterday. [12:19] And RIC is saying this could be it [12:21] unless we get something else flaring up. [12:23] This could be as high as they go. [12:24] But it's a volatile situation, as we know. [12:27] A stray tweet, stray missile. [12:29] Who knows what could happen? [12:30] But tonight, markets are pretty calm. [12:33] Stray tweets and missiles. [12:34] All right, Simon, thank you. [12:35] Simon Jack, our business editor there. [12:38] Well, while the fragile ceasefire is holding in Iran, [12:41] in Lebanon, Israel's military says [12:43] it's carried out strikes on around 150 Hezbollah targets [12:46] over the past 24 hours. [12:48] Meanwhile, the IDF says the Iran-backed militant group [12:51] had fired rockets into northern Israel. [12:53] The attacks come ahead of talks between representatives [12:56] from the Israeli and Lebanese governments [12:58] that are due to take place in Washington tomorrow. [13:01] Hezbollah has tonight called for them [13:02] to be cancelled, saying they're pointless. [13:05] Our Middle East correspondent, Hugo Boshega, [13:07] spent several days with emergency services [13:09] in the city of Nabatea, in southern Lebanon. [13:16] Another day of war. [13:21] The Lebanese are desperate for it to stop. [13:25] The talks in the U.S., their main hope for a ceasefire. [13:29] Here, there's no respite. [13:31] With emergency teams being constantly attacked, [13:35] every mission for these paramedics is risky. [13:38] This is the first day of the war. [13:40] You are a little bit concerned. Why? [13:43] Because today in the morning, [13:46] about four drone strikes on the cars. [13:49] They are striking everywhere. [13:51] The war has taken the life out of Nabatea. [13:57] Suddenly, they find a pickup truck still burning [14:01] after being hit by an Israeli airstrike [14:04] and a body unrecognizable, completely charred. [14:12] Even these men, so used to death for a moment, are shocked. [14:25] In an empty village, we meet a family, hunkered down. [14:30] The war has forced one in five in this country [14:33] to flee their homes, but some have decided to stay. [14:37] I'm scared that if I leave, we won't be able to come back. [14:40] And this is something that hurts me a lot. [14:44] In wars, defiance can quickly turn into despair. [14:53] This is the only strike in this area. [14:58] Ali takes us to what is left of the paramedic station, [15:03] destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. [15:06] So I'll show you here. [15:08] A colleague was killed. [15:10] He was here. [15:10] Yes, and Israel says some ambulances [15:15] and some health facilities are being used by Hezbollah. [15:19] This is a false claim. [15:20] This is not true. [15:22] They're trying to hide what they did by saying this. [15:25] This is the only explanation. [15:27] They've been saying this repeatedly. [15:30] They don't have any evidence. [15:33] And you haven't seen anything? [15:34] If they have any evidence, let them show us. [15:39] In parts of Lebanon, the rubble of the old war [15:42] had yet to be removed when this new one started. [15:46] In a country that is a battleground for others, [15:48] the idea of a nation is also in ruins. [15:54] Hugo Baxaca, BBC News, Nabatia, Southern Lebanon.