Blockade of Iranian ports begins as Trump deletes AI image of him as Jesus

U.S. President Donald Trump says any Iranian ships that come near the American naval blockade will be “immediately eliminated.”

A U.S. military blockade of all Iranian ports aimed at pressuring Iran to reopen a vital oil transportation corridor began Monday morning.

“We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing,” says Trump. “I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side. They’d like to make a deal very badly.”

But the U.S. president says a deal requires Tehran to never acquire a nuclear weapon.

“If they don’t agree, there’s no deal. There’ll never be a deal,” Trump says.

He says the blockade began at 10 a.m. on Monday – covering all Iranian ports and coastal areas on the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

The U.S. Navy also forbade transit through the Strait of Hormuz by any of the ships that have paid a toll to Iran to go through.

The strait – through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply travels during peacetime – has been effectively closed since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, sending oil prices and the cost of many other goods skyrocketing around the world.

“This blockade is helping the United States by giving us leverage,” says retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark.

Trump threatened the blockade after ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan ended without an agreement Saturday.

READ MORE: Tensions persist despite ceasefire between U.S., Iran and Israel

The U.S. Vice President says it’s because Iran refused to accept terms preventing them from developing a nuclear weapon.

That same day, Pope Leo condemned the war as inhumane during a peace vigil, prompting a rebuke from Trump.

“We don’t like a Pope that’s going to say that it’s ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don’t want a pope that says crime is ok in our cities,” says Trump. “I don’t like it. I’m not a big fan of pope leo.”

“I have no fear of either the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel,” says Pope Leo.

Trump also criticizing the Pope in a lengthy post online, then posting an AI generated photo of himself as Jesus Christ, appearing to heal a man, a woman with hands folded in prayer looking up to him and U.S. warplanes and eagles flying overhead.

The image was then deleted amid widespread backlash.

“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and i do make people better,” says Trump.

When asked if he will apologize to the Pope, Trump said he wouldn’t.

On the blockade, at least two tankers approaching the strait today turned around soon after the U.S. blockade began.

That’s according to vessel tracker “marine-traffic” in a post on X.

WATCH MORE: JD Vance heading to Pakistan for mediation as Iranian ceasefire remains unstable