Why Trump Wants to Close The Strait of Hormuz and the Fight with Pope Leo XIV

Summary

Summary of "Here's the Scoop" (April 13, 2026)

Episode Theme:
This episode of NBC News’ “Here’s the Scoop,” hosted by Yasmin Vesugin, unpacks two escalating international headlines: the U.S. partial military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the context of ongoing tensions with Iran, and a heated transatlantic dispute between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV. The episode also briefly touches on major U.S. political and cultural headlines.

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1. U.S.–Iran Crisis and the Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

Main Topic: The deepening confrontation between the United States and Iran, focusing on failed peace talks and President Trump’s new military strategy in the globally vital Strait of Hormuz.

Key Points & Timeline

Failed Peace Talks in Islamabad

• [00:58 – 02:58]
  • Yasmin Vossoughian recaps Vice President J.D. Vance’s unsuccessful peace negotiation with Iran.
  • Richard Engel, reporting from Tel Aviv, explains both sides are “miles and miles apart on almost everything” ([01:29] Engel).
    • Central sticking points: U.S. demands for zero uranium enrichment, Iran’s push for complete sanctions relief and reparations, and mutual distrust.
    • Engel: “They couldn't agree on anything and seemed to be very, very far apart, even after 21 hours talking to each other in the lovely Serena Hotel in Islamabad.” ([02:54] Engel)

New U.S. Military Blockade in Strait of Hormuz

• [02:58 – 05:02]
  • U.S. establishes a partial military blockade.
    • President Trump’s order: No Iranian ships may leave port or use the Strait; threat of military action for violators.
    • Other countries’ ships allowed passage.
    • Engel: “The threat of military action that if a boat leaves an Iranian port as of today and heads toward the Strait of Hormuz, it will be blown out of the water.” ([04:40] Engel)

Ceasefire Status and Fragility

• [05:11 – 06:40]
  • Engel describes a “very fragile global ceasefire.”
    • No missiles entering Tel Aviv; no U.S. or Israeli airstrikes on Iran; but active combat continues in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.
    • Trump’s language highlights risk: “Any ship from Iran that enters the Strait of Hormuz will be dealt with like the drug smuggling ships ... They’ll be destroyed without warning.” ([06:19] Engel quoting Trump)

Prospects for Peace

• [06:53 – 08:00]
  • Trump’s stance on future talks: “Oh, I don't know. I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine.” ([06:53] Trump)
  • Status quo: U.S. acts as “traffic cop” of the strait, while underlying conflict remains unstable.

Memorable Quotes

• Richard Engel: “It seems more like the US is taking this role as traffic cop for the Strait of Hormuz, deciding which ships are allowed to go through and which ships are not—primarily Iranian ships.” ([07:59] Engel)
• Trump: “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back, I’m fine.” ([06:53] Trump)

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2. Trump vs. Pope Leo XIV: A Breakdown of the Vatican Showdown

Main Topic: An unprecedented public feud between President Trump and the first American Pope, Leo XIV, centered around criticism of U.S. foreign policy, morality, and the justification of war.

Key Points & Timeline

Origins and Escalation of the Feud

• [09:46 – 10:55]
  • Trump publicly criticizes Pope Leo for his opposition to U.S. military actions.
    • Trump: “I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime.” ([10:02] Trump)
  • NBC’s Claudio Lavanga joins live from the papal plane to offer context.

Pope Leo's Position

• [10:55 – 13:10]
  • Under Pope Leo, a careful tone shifted during Holy Week to more forceful language: e.g., “God does not answer prayers of those who wage wars.” ([11:17] Lavanga)
  • Implied criticism of the Trump administration's use of religion to justify war, without naming names.
  • During a press gaggle, Pope Leo responds: “I have no fear. Neither the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel. And that’s what I believe I am called to do, what the Church is called to do. ... Blessed are the peacemakers is a message the world needs to hear today.” ([13:10] Pope Leo)

Social Media Firestorm & MAGA Response

• [13:37 – 14:23]
  • Trump accuses Pope Leo online, claiming the Pope supports a nuclear Iran, and releasing an AI-generated image likened to Jesus that drew widespread criticism and accusations of blasphemy.
    • Reaction included condemnation from Democrats, widespread anger among Catholics, and even criticism from within Trump's Religious Liberty Commission.
    • Bishop Robert Barron: “Trump’s post was entirely inappropriate and disrespectful and that Trump owes the Pope an apology.” ([14:00] Lavanga)

Role of VP J.D. Vance

• [15:04 – 15:57]
  • Vance, a devout Catholic and key negotiator with Iran, has longstanding ties with the Vatican and Pope Leo; his reaction to the feud remains closely watched.
  • Lavanga: “It would be very interesting to see whether J.D. Vance reacts to this. ... He's never hid his connection [to the Vatican].” ([15:25] Lavanga)

Pope Leo’s New Approach

• [16:10 – 17:19]
  • Pope Leo, once reserved, is now “roaring”—taking a stronger moral stand against war and the co-opting of faith for political purposes.
  • Lavanga: “Clearly President Trump thought he was talking about him.” ([17:10] Lavanga)

No Apologies

• [17:23 – 17:39]
  • Direct question to Trump about apologizing: “No, I don’t, because Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I’m doing with, with regard to Iran and you cannot have a nuclear Iran.” ([17:29] Trump)

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3. Rapid-Fire U.S. Political & Cultural Headlines

Main Topic: End-of-show roundup of major domestic stories.

Highlights & Timestamps

• [20:19 – 24:06]
  • Bipartisan calls to expel Congressmen Eric Swalwell (CA) and Tony Gonzalez (TX) over separate sexual misconduct allegations.
  • Federal judge dismisses Trump’s $10-billion defamation suit against the Wall Street Journal related to Epstein reporting.
  • Hollywood celebrities protest the Paramount Skydance–Warner Bros Discovery merger over antitrust and industry concerns.
  • Justin Bieber’s controversial Coachella comeback: split fan reactions as Bieber duets with his younger self via old YouTube videos.

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Notable Quotes (Chronological Index)

• Richard Engel ([01:29]): “They were miles and miles apart on almost everything.”
• Richard Engel ([04:40]): “If a boat leaves an Iranian port ... and heads toward the Strait of Hormuz, it will be blown out of the water.”
• Donald Trump ([06:53]): “Oh, I don't know. I don't care if they [Iranians] come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine.”
• Yasmin Vesugin ([08:05]): “We should note ... there is continued engagement between the US and Iran and forward motion on trying to get to an agreement.”
• Donald Trump ([10:02]): “I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime.”
• Pope Leo ([13:10]): “I have no fear. Neither the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel.”
• Bishop Barron ([14:00], via Lavanga): “Trump’s post was entirely inappropriate and disrespectful and that Trump owes the Pope an apology.”
• Donald Trump ([17:29]): “No, I don't, because Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I'm doing with ... Iran and you cannot have a nuclear Iran.”

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Structure and Tone

• Original Language & Flow: The episode maintained its signature brisk, conversational style with timely expert input and direct quotes.
• Atmosphere: Tense geopolitics and domestic culture war themes dominated, punctuated by memorable, sometimes combative, soundbites from major global figures.
• Usefulness: This summary distills the major arguments and emotions animating both the U.S.-Iran standoff and the Trump–Vatican clash, while also catching listeners up on headline political news.

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For Listeners New to the Episode:

This episode offers urgent, multi-front coverage of U.S. foreign policy flashpoints and the unprecedented collision between presidential and papal authority, featuring insider analysis, on-the-ground reporting, and direct quotes that capture the drama and stakes of the day’s news.

Transcript

[Richard Engel]

Now, if there is a negotiation, then maybe that we find a way out of this conflict. But at this stage, it doesn't seem likely. It seems more like the US Is taking this role as traffic cop of the Strait of Hormuz.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Hey, everybody, and welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. So today on the show, how the US Is enacting its own partial military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Vice President J.D. vance failed to reach a peace deal this weekend with Iran. Plus, the White House has launched a battle on another front with the Vatican. Why? President Trump and Pope Leo are at odds up first, though, after 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, what are the prospects for a permanent end to this war? For that, I want to bring in chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, who is on the ground for us in Tel Aviv. Hi, Richard.

[Richard Engel]

Hello. It's good to be back with you.

[Michael Smarkanish]

How are you?

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Great to see you as always. I want to start with what happened this weekend. Vice President J.D. vance, he walked away from the talks in Islamabad without a deal. What were the sticking points? Why did it not go well?

[Richard Engel]

Basically everything. There's been no public readout, but there have been quite a few private readouts from the Pakistanis, from the Iranians, from some unnamed, clearly Trump administration officials. And it sounds like they were

[Claudio Lavanga]

miles

[Richard Engel]

and miles apart on almost everything. The Iranians said that they basically just don't trust the Americans, that they don't trust this process. They don't think that the negotiations are going to end with anything but more war because they've been through this process twice now. There might be more negotiations, but as far as we can tell, it was about enrichment. So the Americans were insisting that Iran not have any capacity to enrich, which is something that has gone back and forth. The Americans have sometimes said that the Iranians can enrich a little bit only for civilian purposes and medical purposes. Then at other times, they've said they can't enrich at all. So it seems that the US Came in with this blanket, no enrichment at all, even for medical purposes or civilian purposes. They had to hand over this 900 pounds of more highly enriched uranium. And the Iranians have said they'll do this, but they're trying to figure out the terms. They couldn't agree on that sanctions relief. Iranians want all sanctions removed immediately and they want reparations for what was done, the damage that has been done over the last month or so. They didn't agree on anything and seemed to be very, very far apart, even after 21 hours talking to each other in the lovely Serena Hotel in Islamabad.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So one of the key US demands for this ongoing ceasefire and also discussion that happened when it came to an end to this war is the governing of the Strait of Hormuz. Right. The management, I should say, of the Strait of Hormuz and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, that has not happened. The Strait of Hormuz is not open. And now the President has launched a US blockade at the Strait. Why is he doing this? And what does it actually look like? What is actually happening in the water there with this blockade?

[Richard Engel]

So going back before this war, the shipping was flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, easily about 100 ships a day. And this was this critical lifeline for the world's oil and gas. After the war began, Iran responded by launching attacks on countries in the Arab countries, in the Gulf, primarily countries that have US bases, and by closing off the Strait of Hormuz, except two friendly countries, China and Russia, primarily. And there is this. The Trump administration says that they've been charging a $2 million toll for ships to pass through. Now the Iranians deny this, by the way, they say the strait is open for any non hostile act. What happened just now was President Trump said as of today, as of this morning, Iran can't use the Strait of Hormuz, that Iranian ships can't leave port, that they can't leave the coast, that they can't enter the Strai Hormuz. Other ships from any other country can transit through. But Iran is now being denied access to its own ports and to denied access to the Strait of Hormuz. The threat of military action that if a boat leaves an Iranian port as of today and heads toward the Strait of Hormuz, it will be blown out of the water.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So they're at a standstill, Iran and the US right now at the Strait of Hormuz, literally and figuratively. Are we still in a ceasefire?

[Richard Engel]

It's a confusing question. It's a great question. We're in a ceasefire in a global sense, but not everywhere. And it's very fragile. We're in a global ceasefire in the sense that I'm in Tel Aviv right now. There are no incoming rockets from Iran. There are no ballistic missiles coming into tel Aviv right now.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

0.

[Richard Engel]

There are no airstrikes going against Iran right now from Israel and the United States. There are no drone and rocket attacks coming from Iran to the Gulf states. That's paused. So on that level yes, the ceasefire is still holding, but the war in Lebanon, which according to Iran and the Pakistanis, who are the mediators, is included in this deal, is ongoing and is intensifying. And Prime Minister Netanyahu was just visiting the troops inside Lebanon yesterday and today talked about how they need to build a big buffer zone zone and destroy Hezbollah. So that front of the war is going full steam ahead. And then you have this crisis over the Strait of Hormuz, which could escalate. While we're recording right now, it's so fragile because President Trump just said a short while ago, any ship from Iran that enters the Strait of Hormuz will be dealt with like the drug smuggling ships that left Venezuela or left the Caribbean headed for the United States. They'll be destroyed without warning, which is what happens to, to all of those ships.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So then, with that being said, are there talks in the future? The president has said that he doesn't really care if Iran comes back to the negotiating table.

[Donald Trump]

Oh, I don't know. I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Is there an end to this war? How does this wrap?

[Richard Engel]

The current strategy, which is to attack Iran at will, to attack their alleged nuclear program and to attack their military. And their missile program is paused. But it could resume, resume at any moment. The war in Lebanon is ongoing. And you have this situation where at any time, if an Iranian ship starts leaving the Iranian coastline and heading to the Strait of Hormuz, it's probably going to be attacked. And then you could see Iran respond militarily. Now, if there is a negotiation, then, then maybe that we find a way out of this conflict. But at this stage, it doesn't seem, it doesn't seem likely. It seems more like the US Is taking this role as traffic cop for the Strait of, of the Strait of Hormuz, deciding which ships are allowed to go through and which ships are not primarily Iranian ships.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Richard Engel, thank you.

[Richard Engel]

Absolutely. Good to talk to you.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

By the way, we should note after our conversation with Richard, a U.S. official told NBC News that there is continued engagement between the US And Iran and forward motion on trying to get to an agreement. All right, coming up next, President Trump picks a fight with the Pope. We're going to take you on board the papal plane. Try saying that five times fast. And hey, while you're waiting for us to come back, why not subscribe to our show, wherever you're listening. That way you're never going to miss an episode and if you already subscribe, rate and review us, it really helps other podcast listeners find us. All right, we'll be right back.

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[Yasmin Vesugin]

And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. The American president is taking on the first American pope. This weekend, President Trump launched a series of attacks against Pope Leo after the Catholic leader has been critical in the Trump administration's war with Iran.

[Donald Trump]

I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Asked about it this morning en route to Africa, Pope Leo said he has, quote, no fear of the Trump administration and vowed to keep speaking out. But where did this dispute with the head of the Catholic Church come from? And how is MAGA responding to the president's open criticism of a key religious leader? For that, I want to bring in NBC News international correspondent Claudio Lavanga, who is traveling with Pope Leo on his trip to Africa. And joining me now. Hi, Claudio.

[Claudio Lavanga]

Hey, Yasmin.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So there has been, as I mentioned, a lot of rhetoric back and forth between President Trump and Pope Leo, and it's gotten quite heated, to say the least, over the last 24 hours or so. Explain to us what has been going on because this is not new.

[Claudio Lavanga]

Well, Yasmin, essentially for the last year, the pope has been fairly careful with his words since he was elected. Exactly almost a year ago. Well, he, of course, called for peace and dialogue and reconciliation, but he was very, never highly critical of any leaders, despite of all the wars that were ongoing in Gaza and then in Ukraine and then in the Middle East. That has all changed, essentially, with the start of Holy Week, when Pope Leo started saying stronger things and stronger condemnations. For instance, he said that God does not answer prayers of those who wage wars. And that appeared to be a direct reference of members of the Trump administration who appeared to use God as a way to justify their war in Iran. Then he said he called for a prayer for peace just on Saturday, just as J.D. vance and the U.S. delegation were in Pakistan starting negotiations with Iran. He said strong things like that. He condemned the delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive. And then he says, enough of the idolatry of self and money. Now, it must be said that throughout all these condemnations, the pope never really named names. He didn't say Trump or anyone else. But clearly Trump thought that he was talking about him, because then he came out with these really unprecedented post on truth.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

President Trump called Pope Leo weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy. And the pope responded as you were traveling with him. So what did he actually have to say?

[Claudio Lavanga]

Well, this morning while I was on the plane with Poplio from Rome to Algiers here, I only got to. We only get to ask a very quick question. So I thought I will ask him about the post that Trump had on Truth Social in which he accused the pope of all kinds of things. He said he doesn't like the pope, that the pope is okay with Iran having a nuclear weapon. He said, well, I did ask him about that. Well, what do you think about him calling you terrible with foreign policy? And he said, look, I'm a peacemaker. I'm not a politician.

[Pope Leo]

I have no fear. Neither the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel. And that's what I believe I am called to do, what the church is called to do. If we're not politicians, we're not looking to make foreign policy, as he calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it. But I do believe that the message of the gospel, blessed are the peacemakers, is a message that the world needs to hear today.

[Claudio Lavanga]

Also in that post, President Trump said that the pope would have not even been elected if Trump was not in office, because he said that he was elected just because he was an American and the cardinals thought that he was the right person to deal with President Trump. He also said that he prefers the Pope's brother, Louis, because he said that he's maga. So it was a very, very personal attack.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

There was this photo that the president had posted, and it made him look a lot like Jesus reaching down with healing hands. It has since been taken down, but it did get a lot of backlash. What has been the reaction from Catholic circles around the world to the way the president has depicted himself and to this ongoing fight now between the Pope and the president?

[Claudio Lavanga]

Of course, you will expect Democrats to be heavily critical. You will expect Catholics around the world to react angrily on social media, calling it blasphemy. What really strikes me is that even people from Trump's inner circle thought that that was too much. Not just the picture of Jesus, but also that really strong post with the criticism of Pope Leo. For instance, Bishop Robert Barron, who is a member of Trump's very own Religious Liberty Commission, he said, and I'm reading in here, that Trump's post was entit inappropriate and disrespectful and that Trump owes the Pope an apology. Now, I doubt that that apology will come.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

I wanna talk about J.D. vance, because I was just speaking about this with Richard Engel. He was in Islamabad this weekend trying to negotiate an end to the war with Iran. He was unsuccessful. He is, though, a devout Catholic. He's about to publish a book about his faith as well. He met with Pope Leo previously. How does this factor into this dispute?

[Claudio Lavanga]

No, you're right, Yasmin. I mean, it would be very interesting to see whether J.D. vance reacts to this. I mean, I have not seen him criticize President Trump since Trump came back into office. It would be very interesting to know what he thinks privately. But J.D. vance, yes, he has been showing his faith also by meeting with Pope Francis literally the day before he died. And then he was there on the day of the installation Mass when Pope Leo was elected, right after he was elected. So he's never hid his connection there.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

What does this moment mean for the way in which Pope Leo is taking the church, the direction to which Pope Leo is taking the church, this fight that he's having with the president?

[Claudio Lavanga]

Well, Yasmin, I like to say that the Leo is now roaring because essentially, until now, as I mentioned earlier, since he became pope last year, one year ago, he was such a striking difference from his predecessor, Pope Francis. Pope Francis was upfront, he was direct. He used strong words. He used to say things off the cuff. Unpredictable. Pope Leo was a lot more careful with words. Even too careful, some people will say, even Catholics especially when it came to the war in Gaza and the war in Ukraine and so forth. And that has all changed, literally on Palm Sunday at the beginning of Holy Week, when he started to say really strong things, reacting also to the way that some members in the president, in the Trump administration were kind of using God and religion to justify the war with Iran. He started to say, you know, God does not answer prayers by those who wage war and all that kind of things. That clearly he wasn't mentioning anyone by name, but clearly, clearly President Trump thought he was talking about him.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Claudia Lavanga, thank you.

[Claudio Lavanga]

Thank you for having me.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

President Trump was asked today if he will apologize to Pope Leo for the comments he made on True Social.

[Donald Trump]

No, I don't, because Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I'm doing with, with regard to Iran and you cannot have a nuclear Iran.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

President Trump also said he thought the controversial AI image he posted showed him that as a doctor. All right, we're going to take a very quick break. And when we are back, why Hollywood is in an uproar over a media merger.

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[Claudio Lavanga]

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[Yasmin Vesugin]

Let's just take a step back.

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[Yasmin Vesugin]

And we are back with Here's a scoop from NBC News. Let's get to some headlines. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle tell NBC News they would vote to expel two congressmen, California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzalez, following separate sexual misconduct allegations against each of them. Swalwell announced on Sunday he was suspending his gubernatorial campaign after days of pressure from allies and staffers over multiple sexual misconduct allegations levied against him, including from a former staffer. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Gonzalez dropped out of his House reelection race after reports that he exchanged sexually explicit text messages with a staffer who later died by suicide. The House Ethics Committee has launched separate investigations into both lawmakers. Swalwell denied criminal allegations, but in a statement on social media admitted to making some mistakes. A spokesperson for Gonzalez did not respond to a request for comment. A federal judge has dismissed President Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, saying that he had failed to prove that an article written about his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was intentionally malicious. The lawsuit was related to the publishing of an article that described a sexually suggestive letter with Trump's signature that was included in a book for Epstein's 50th birthday. The letter was later released publicly by Congress. Hollywood stars are trying to block Paramount Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery More than a thousand industry professionals, including actors like Ben Stiller, Jane Fonda and Joaquin Phoenix, they've signed an open letter opposing the merger, arguing it's going to reduce competition and hurt an industry quote already under severe strain. In late February, Paramount Skydance chief David Ellison inked a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, beating out Netflix for control of a media empire that includes an iconic movie studio, hbo and a suite of cable channels, including cnn. But the merger still needs to clear regulatory scrutiny. There are antitrust investigations being conducted by both the California Department of Justice and the Justice Department. Paramount Skydance did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. And finally, was Justin Bieber's Coachella comeback daring or was it disappointing? It depends on who you ask. So the first half was really what you would expect from Justin Bieber for one of the nation's biggest music festivals, right? Sing a new music from his latest album. But everybody knows the fans like the old stuff even better. And that is where it got a little bit more controversial. So instead of just singing the fan faves with a new twist, Bieber pulled up old amateur YouTube videos and he duetted with the high pitched tween who originally sang those songs himself, Justin bieber. At age 12 and age 13. Some people, they loved it, right? They love the amateur nostalgia hour. Okay, so you guys know that one. Others though, let's just say you could do karaoke at home. That is going to do it for us. Here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid [e-mail] we'll see you tomorrow.

[Craig Melvin]

I'm Craig Melvin. Cheers.

[Pope Leo]

Cheers.

[Claudio Lavanga]

Cheers.

[Craig Melvin]

I've always been a glass half full kind of guy, and now I'm talking to some people who look at the world that way, too. Some really fascinating folks who share their defining moments, their triumphs, their challenges. Their stories are funny and quite candid. So I hope you'll join me each week. And who knows, you might just come away with your own glass Half Full.

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