Trump Slams Pope Francis

¬ U.S. Studies Resuming Limited Strikes on Iran

¬ Trump: Doesn’t Care if Iran Returns to Negotiations

¬ Pentagon Plans to Triple Procurement Budget After Iran Uses PrSM Missiles

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President Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Pope Francis, stating he does not need a pope who opposes his policies.

The Pope had previously criticized U.S. actions in Iran, including calling American threats against the Iranian people unacceptable. In early April, after U.S. Secretary of War Hegseth called for prayers for American troops, the Pope declared in his sermon that the desire to dominate all things runs counter to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

In a post on his "Truth Social" platform, the American leader wrote: "I don't need a pope who thinks it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. I don't need a pope who considers an American strike on Venezuela extremely terrible — Venezuela has sent massive amounts of drugs to the U.S., and worse still, it has released criminals including murderers, drug traffickers, and killers from its prisons into our country. I also don't need a pope who criticizes the U.S. president."

Trump also claimed that without him taking office at the White House, "Leo would never have appeared in the Vatican."

The U.S. president further urged the Pope to stop pandering to "radical leftists," and instead focus on being a great pope rather than a politician.

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According to sources familiar with the matter, in addition to announcing a maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump is considering resuming limited strikes on Iran.

After Trump announced a two-week ceasefire, Iran and the United States began negotiations in Islamabad on April 11. However, on the morning of April 12, Vice President Vance stated that no agreement had been reached. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bajae explained that while many issues had seen consensus, there remained significant gaps on two or three key clauses.

The Wall Street Journal reported: "Trump and his advisors are examining the feasibility of resuming limited military strikes on Iran—beyond just blocking the Strait of Hormuz—as a way to break through the deadlock in talks."

The report noted this was one of several options being considered by U.S. leadership just hours after the Pakistan peace talks ended on April 12.

Media sources added that Trump might also revive large-scale bombing operations, but sources believe this is unlikely, as it could further destabilize the region, which Trump wishes to avoid involving himself in a prolonged military conflict.

On April 12, Trump stated that the U.S. would begin blocking all vessels attempting to enter or exit the Strait of Hormuz. He also ordered the Navy to track and intercept any ships paying passage fees to Iran.

The U.S. Central Command said the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on April 13.

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President Donald Trump stated that he doesn’t care whether Iran returns to the negotiating table.

After arriving at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., Trump responded to reporters’ questions about when Iran might agree to resume talks by saying: "I don’t care if they come back to the negotiating table. If they don’t come back, I’m fine with that."

"I think Iran’s situation is very bad. I think they’re desperate. We held a 21-hour-long meeting. We understand the situation better than anyone else," Trump said. "Iran will not get nuclear weapons."

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According to an analysis of recently disclosed Pentagon budget documents cited by Sputnik News, following Iran’s first real-world use of precision strike missiles (PrSM), the Pentagon plans to increase spending on procuring the latest PrSM missiles by 2.5 times.

A month ago, the U.S. used PrSM missiles for the first time during a military operation against Iran. This weapon is designed to replace the outdated Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and offers greater range and accuracy.

Documents obtained by Sputnik News show that the U.S. military plans to spend $1.92 billion on PrSM missiles in fiscal year 2027. In the 2026 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, such expenditures were only $546 million. Thus, the new budget request represents a 2.5-fold increase in funding.

Sputnik News previously reported that on March 25, the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin signed an agreement to quadruple the production capacity of PrSM missiles.

Source: sputniknews

Original: toutiao.com/article/1862337148909580/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.