Pope Decries War as "Scandal," US-Iran Tensions Escalate Over Strait

The Pope renewed his appeal to persevere in prayer.

In a post on X, he said, "I continue to follow the situation in the Middle East with dismay. Like other regions of the world, it is torn apart by war and violence. We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many defenseless victims of these conflicts. What wounds them wounds all of humanity. The death and pain caused by these wars is a scandal for the entire human family and a cry that rises to God!"

"I strongly renew my appeal to persevere in prayer. May hostilities cease and may paths to peace finally open up, based on sincere dialogue and respect for the dignity of every human person. Pray Together," he added.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in his interview with local media, said there is a military campaign going on to soften the fortifications of the Strait of Hormuz.

"There has been a campaign - using military assets - to soften up the Iranian fortifications along the Strait [of Hormuz]," Bessent said. "That's going to continue until they are completely demolished."

Bessent pushed back against media coverage of the war, saying Americans do not have "good framing" for what US officials are doing.

He also singled out Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who earlier said that the Trump administration had "lost control of the war" and "totally lost touch with reality". "That is wrong," Bessent said. "We have demolished the Iranian capabilities," he said, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Iran has warned of retaliatory attacks on regional infrastructure if US President Donald Trump follows through on his ultimatum over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has said he will "obliterate" Iran's power plants if it fails to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.

- ANI