Trump not considering extending Iran ceasefire

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Pope Leo should be told Iran had killed at least 42,000 unarmed protesters recently and that Tehran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear bomb.

Trump made the remarks in a post on Truth Social as his public clash with the pope over the Iran war continued.

“Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump wrote.

The post came after Pope Leo criticized the war and called for peace, drawing criticism from Trump.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday it was “highly probable” that talks to end the Iran war would resume, as Donald Trump signaled negotiations could restart in Pakistan within days.

Speaking to reporters at the United Nations, Guterres said the organization had indications that diplomacy would soon pick up again, stressing the importance of sustaining momentum toward a political solution.

Guterres said he met Pakistan’s deputy prime minister on Tuesday and praised Islamabad’s efforts to facilitate dialogue, calling continued negotiations essential.

“It would be unrealistic to expect such a complex, long-lasting problem to be resolved in a first session,” he said, adding that talks must continue alongside a sustained ceasefire.

Blockade halted all sea trade to/from Iran in under 36 hours. 90% of Iran’s economy relies on maritime trade, CENTCOM commander posted on X on Tuesday.

"A blockade of Iranian ports has been fully implemented as US forces maintain maritime superiority in the middle east. An estimated 90% of Iranians economy is fueled by International trade by sea. In less that 36 hours, since the blockade was implemented, US forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran buy sea, "Admiral Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander said.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the conflict with Iran is “very close to over” and defended recent US actions as necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, in a preview of an interview with Fox News set to air tomorrow.

Trump said he acted to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and suggested the country would take years to recover from the damage, while adding that negotiations could still continue.

“I think it’s very close to over… If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country,” Trump said. "And we're not finished. We'll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly."

Chevron said on Tuesday increased imports of Venezuelan crude are helping ease fuel prices for US consumers as the war with Iran tightens global supply, CBS News reported.

Andrew Walz, the company’s head of global refining, said Chevron is running its Mississippi refinery at full capacity to process the crude and boost output.

“This ship is lowering prices in America because we have access to a new supply point that we didn't have previously,” he said.