WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump issued a scathing attack on Pope Leo late on Sunday (Apr 12), calling him "weak" on crime and "terrible" for foreign policy after the religious leader criticised Trump's foreign and immigration policies.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote in a lengthy post on Truth Social.

Pope Leo, who is known for choosing his words carefully, has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran that began on Feb 28.

The pope said this month's threat from Trump to destroy Iranian civilisation was "unacceptable". He has also called for "deep reflection" about the way migrants are being treated in the US under the Trump administration.

"Leo should get his act together as Pope," Trump wrote in his post, later telling reporters he was not a "big fan" of the pontiff.

WASHINGTON: A US naval blockade of Iran is a major, open-ended military endeavour that could trigger fresh retaliation from Tehran and put tremendous strain on an already fragile ceasefire, experts say.

President Donald Trump, in a social media post after no deal emerged from peace talks over the weekend in Islamabad, said the US Navy "will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz".

The US military's Central Command later said the blockade will only apply to ships going to or from Iran, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It will take effect on Monday (Apr 13) at 10am in Washington (10pm, Singapore time), CENTCOM said.

Trump also said US forces would interdict vessels that have paid tolls to Iran, even if those ships are now in international waters. "No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The ultimate goal, Trump said, would be to pressure Iran to end its effective closure of the strait, a choke point for about 20 per cent of the world's oil, to all but the countries that secure safe passage from Tehran. 

If Trump's strategy succeeds, he would eliminate Iran's greatest point of leverage in negotiations with the United States and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil prices. But a blockade, experts say, is an act of war that requires an open-ended commitment of a significant number of warships.

"Trump wants a quick fix. The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long-term," said Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration now at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

IRANIAN RETALIATION

The US military has not offered basic details yet about the blockade, including how many US warships will enforce it, whether warplanes will be used and whether any Gulf allies will assist in the effort. Central Command declined to respond to requests for comment.

With enough warships, the US Navy could set up a blockade that intimidates many commercial tankers from trying to power through with Iranian oil, experts say.

But would the United States be prepared to board and seize - or even damage or sink - ships that try to break the blockade? What if they carry oil for China, a major power, or US partners such as India or South Korea?

And what would Iran do? Retired Admiral Gary Roughead, a former chief of US naval operations, cautioned that Iran could fire on ships in the Gulf or attack infrastructure of the Gulf states that host US forces.

"I honestly believe that if we begin to do it, that Iran will have some kind of a reaction," Roughead said.

Iran's threats to shipping have caused global oil prices to skyrocket about 50 per cent since the US and Israel launched the war on Feb 28. 

Trump said on Sunday that the price of oil and gasoline may remain high in the United States through November's US midterm elections, which could see Trump's Republicans lose control of the US Congress if there is a public backlash. The war has already been unpopular.

GAS PRICE PROBLEM

Frustrated by Iran's refusal to end the war on his terms, Trump on Sunday also floated the possibility of a resumption of US strikes inside Iran, citing missile factories as one possibility. 

US Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, questioned the strategy, noting Iran could send speedboats to mine the strait or put bombs against tankers.

"How is that going to ever bring down gas prices?" Warner asked on CBS's "Face the Nation".

Thousands of US military strikes have severely weakened Iran's military. But analysts say Tehran has emerged from the conflict as a vexing problem for Washington, with a more hardline leadership and a buried stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump threatened on Sunday that "any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"

Iran's Revolutionary Guards responded with a statement warning that military vessels approaching the strait will be considered a ceasefire breach and dealt with harshly and decisively, underlining the risk of a dangerous escalation.

Stroul said the crisis will require a long-term, international effort to resolve.

"Over the long run, this will need to be resolved through diplomacy and international political will," she said.

NEW YORK: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked his 100th day in office on Sunday (Apr 12) with a rally to tout early successes and vow to follow through on his unabashedly "socialist" agenda.

"I know there are many who use 'socialist' as a dirty word, something to be ashamed of," the 34-year-old told a packed room in Queens.

"They can try all they want, but we will not be ashamed of using government to fight for the many, not simply the few," he said.

Mamdani pointed to a programme to fill city street potholes - over 100,000 since Jan 1 - as evidence he is committed to making the lives of everyday New Yorkers better.

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"If government can't do the small things, how could you ever trust it to do the big ones? How can we promise to transform our city if we can't pave your street?"

The young mayor was joined at the rally by his close ally, 84-year-old leftist icon Bernie Sanders.

Mamdani touted progress on signature campaign promises, such as launching city-run grocery stores - the first of which will open next year - and providing free childcare for young children.

He has also reshuffled city committees that could pave the way for freezing rent increases in the coming months.

Free bus rides, however, are still only under discussion with New York State authorities, he said.

The new mayor's approval rating, according to two polls released this week, stood at 48 per cent with New York residents and 43 per cent among voters.

According to the Emerson College Polling/PIX11 survey of voters, 54 per cent praise his initiatives on childcare and 49 per cent on housing costs.

However, the survey also shows that 68 per cent of Hispanic voters and 58 per cent of Black voters believe the city is "on the wrong track."

Although highly critical of Donald Trump during his campaign, Mamdani has apparently struck up a cordial relationship with the Republican US president, visiting the White House twice in recent months.

According to a Marist Poll, 59 per cent of New Yorkers believe he has struck the "right balance" with Trump.