Trump posts image of him and Jesus, Pope feud continues
Days after posting a picture of himself looking like Jesus, US President Donald Trump has shared a second religious-style picture.
US President Donald Trump has posted âan image of Jesus embracing him, as a war of words between his administration and the Pope showed little sign of abating.
The image, reposted to Trumpâs âTruth Social account, shows Trump with his eyes closed, touching temple-to-temple with a similarly posed Jesus. Trump is standing behind a microphone, and behind him is an American flag.
The âoriginal post had a caption that included the words: âGod might be playing his Trump card!â
Trumpâs repost added the caption: âThe Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!!â
Earlier this week, Trump posted an image portraying him as a Jesus-like figure. The post prompted widespread criticism of the Republican president, and he later deleted it.
Trump, who does not attend church regularly, has a large contingent of Christian voters among his base, including Catholics. He has been feuding with Pope Leo, the first US-born âleader of the Catholic âChurch and an outspoken â critic of the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Trump reiterated his criticism of the religious leader âon Tuesday night. In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump urged that âsomeone please tell Pope Leoâ about the killings of protesters by Iran and that âfor Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable.â
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On Tuesday evening, Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, said the Pope was wrong to say that disciples of Christ are ânever on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombsâ and that âitâs very, very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters â of theology.â
Leo said in response to Trumpâs previous attacks that he had âno fearâ of âthe Trump administration âand would continue to speak out. In a forceful speech on Monday in Algiers, he denounced âneocolonialâ world powers who he said were violating international law, without singling out specific âcountries.
The âonline response to Trumpâs Wednesday post has been more muted than the outrage that accompanied his earlier Jesus post.
Meanwhile, the United States has threatened to sanction buyers of Iranian oil, saying it believes China would pause such âpurchases as Washington enforces a maritime blockade on Iran.
âWe have told countries that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions,â US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
The US maritime blockade on Iran began on Monday as the Iran war âentered its seventh âweek. China previously â bought more than 80 per cent of Iranâs shipped oil.
âWe believe (that with) this blockade ⌠âthere will be a pause of Chinese buying,â Bessent said.
The US Treasury has also written to two Chinese banks and âtold them that if we can prove that there is Iranian money flowing through your accounts, then we are willing to put on secondary sanctions,â he added.
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Chinaâs embassy in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment â on Bessentâs remarks.
The Trump administration has long said it âis applying âmaximum âpressureâ on Iran over its nuclear program and support for militants across the Middle East, though sanctioned oil has continued âto reach âChina.
The US Treasury Department also targeted Iranâs oil transportation infrastructure, imposing sanctions on more than two dozen individuals, companies âand vessels on Wednesday.
The move comes weeks after Washington issued a 30-day waiver of sanctions on Iranian oil at sea, which Bessent said in March allowed some 140 million barrels to reach global markets in âa âbid to relieve pressure on global energy âsupplies sparked by the war.
Bessent confirmed on Wednesday that the âwaiver, issued on March 20 and set to expire April 19, would not be renewed, a move Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The US has also not renewed the waiver on Russian oil at sea which expired on Saturday.
Reuters has also reported the US Treasury sent letters to China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Oman, identifying banks that have âallowed Iranian illicit activity and warning they face punitive US measures.
The US financial move against Iran comes as President Donald âTrump says the war could end soon, telling the world to watch out for an âamazing two daysâ, while US forces imposing a blockade are turning back vessels leaving Iranian ports.
With the prospect of US and Iranian officials returning to Pakistan for more âtalks, Vice-President JD Vance, who led the US delegation at negotiations that ended on Sunday without a breakthrough, said he felt positive about where things stood.
âI think youâre going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,â Trump told ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl, âaccording to a post by the reporter on X, adding he did not think it would be necessary to extend a two-week ceasefire that expires next week.
âI think it can be over very soon. It will end soon,â Trump said in a separate interview on the Fox Business Network.
The talks last weekend broke down without an agreement to end the war, which Trump launched alongside Israel on February 28, triggering Iranian attacks on Iranâs Gulf neighbours and re-igniting âa parallel conflict between Israel âand Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Complicating peace efforts, Israel continues to attack Lebanon as it targets Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group.
Israel and the US say that campaign is not covered by the ceasefire, while Iran insists it is.
Israeli and Lebanese officials held rare talks in Washington on Tuesday.
The war has prompted Iran to effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz â Â a vital artery for global crude and gas shipments â to ships other than its own, sharply reducing exports from the Gulf, particularly âto Asia and Europe, and leaving energy importers scrambling for alternative supplies.
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