Leo has drawn Trump’s ire by forcefully advocating for an end to the war with Iran. That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday denounced the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters but stressed that, “as a pastor,” he cannot support the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The constitutional conservative was the only Republican to join Democrats on Wednesday in another attempt to pass a war powers resolution.

The conflict has morphed into a volatile standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, as the economic costs mount and President Trump faces a political backlash at home.

Some vessels have paid over $1 million to win a preferred time-slot to pass through the Panama Canal since the outbreak of the Mideast war, said Víctor Vial, vice president of finance at the canal authority.

The U.S. may have burned through roughly half its Patriot missile stockpile during the Iran conflict, according to a new CSIS analysis of munitions use.

United Airlines says fares are already climbing as jet fuel prices surge, with brand-loyal travelers continuing to book despite higher costs.

In the Iran war, experts say, China’s close economic and political ties to Tehran put it in a unique position of influence as the conflict hurts the global energy supply, especially in Asia. Trump has said he believes China helped encourage Iran to negotiate the fragile ceasefire that he has now extended.