Pope Leo XIV said Saturday that it was not in my interest at all to debate U.S. President Donald Trump about the Iran war, but that he would continue preaching the Gospel message of peace.

Leo spoke to reporters aboard the papal plane flying from Cameroon to Angola as part of his 11-day tour of Africa.

He addressed the spiraling back-and-forth saga of Trumps critiques of his peace message, which have dominated news headlines this week. But the American pope also sought to set the record straight, insisting that his preaching isnt directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.

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Theres been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself, he said.

Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said.

Trump launched the criticism on his social media platform Truth Social on the night of April 12, when he criticized Leos preaching about peace as the war, which began with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 and was followed by Irans retaliation, raged on. Trump accused Leo of being soft on crime, cozy with the left and said that the first American pontiff owed his election to Trump.

Leo has issued consistent calls for peace and dialogue, and has denounced the use of religious justification for war. Specifically, he called Trumps threat to annihilate Iranian civilization truly unacceptable.

The Vatican has stressed that when Leo preaches about peace, he is referring to all wars ravaging the planet, not just the Iran conflict. The Russian Orthodox Church, for example, has justified Moscows invasion of Ukraine as a holy war.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Leo referred specifically to his remarks earlier this week to a peace meeting in Bamenda, Cameroon. The city is the epicenter of a separatist conflict that has been raging in the western, Anglophone region of the country for nearly a decade.

Leo said that his remarks, in which he blasted the handful of tyrants who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation, were written two weeks ago, long before Trumps criticisms began.

And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all, he said.

Looking ahead, however, he said that he would continue preaching the Gospel.

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I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa, he said.

He drew attention to some upcoming liturgical readings about what it means to be Christian and to follow Christ, promote fraternity and brotherhood, but also looking for ways to promote justice in our world, promote peace in our world, he said.

Leo arrived later Saturday in Angola, the third stop on his four-nation tour. A message of peace would be especially relevant for the southern African country, which was ravaged by a 27-year civil war that ended in 2002 but has left deep scars.

Leo will meet with Angolan President Joao Lourenco and deliver his first speech before government authorities, when he hopes to bring joy and encouragement to Angola's long-suffering people.

A federal judge has blocked a $6.2 billion merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna until an antitrust lawsuit is resolved.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Troy L. Nunley in Sacramento, California, made the ruling late Friday afternoon, finding that eight attorneys general and DirecTV were likely to prevail in their legal bid to stop the merger. The attorneys general, all Democrats, and DirecTV contend the merger will lead to higher prices for consumers, stifle local journalism and that the deal runs afoul of federal laws designed to protect against monopolies.

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The deal, announced last year and approved by the Federal Communications Commission, would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of one of the Big Four national networks: ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

That would likely give Nexstar the power to raise the retransmission fees it charges to video programming distributors like DirecTV, which means higher bills for consumers, Nunley wrote. The company also has a track record of consolidating local television news stations when it owns more than one station in a market, the judge said, meaning viewers will lose options for where to get their local news.

The deal could also force distributors like DirecTV to comply with Nexstars demands for higher broadcast fees or risk leaving subscribers potentially unable to watch things like Sunday NFL football games, the judge said.

Stopping the merger for now is in the public interest, Nunley wrote.

Attorneys representing Nexstar and Tegna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nexstars attorneys told the court the deal has already been reviewed and cleared by the FCC and the Department of Justice. They said the FCC order commits the company to expand local journalism and programming, not shrink it.

The merger needed the approval of the Republican Trump administrations FCC because the government had to waive rules that limit how many local stations one company can own. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in March that the company had agreed to divest itself of six stations.

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The judge said the FCC clearance process for the deal was unusual, and that the regulatory oversight did not curb the manifest anticompetitive effects of this acquisition.

The Department of Justice, which is tasked with conducting antitrust reviews of these types of mergers, announced it was closing its investigation of the deal in March through early termination, the judge noted, ending the review process sooner than is normally required by statute.

In unusual circumstances with the FCCs quasi-adjudicatory licensing proceeding still pending the President himself weighed in publicly in February and urged federal regulators to approve the deal to knock out the Fake News, Nunley wrote.

The preliminary injunction is designed to keep things as they are until the lawsuit is fully decided, Nunley said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling a critical victory in a statement released Friday evening.

Consolidating hundreds of local TV stations under one corporate owner would mean higher prices and lower quality programming for consumers, she wrote. She later continued, We will keep fighting our case to ensure fair competition among local TV stations that serve communities across the country.

The dueling blockades in the Strait of Hormuz lurched into uncharted waters on Saturday. The United States pressed ahead with its campaign to choke off Iranian ports and Iran reversed an initial move to reopen the waterway, firing on a ship attempting to pass.

Confusion over the critical chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed conflict, even as mediators expressed confidence a new deal was within reach.

Irans joint military command said on Saturday that control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state ... under strict management and control of the armed forces. It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.

RELATED STORY | Trump signals Iran deal is near as Strait of Hormuz reopens

Two gunboats from Irans Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said on Saturday. It reported the tanker and crew as safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. TankerTrackers.com reported vessels were forced to turn around in the strait, including an Indian-flagged super tanker, after they were fired on by Iran.

Iran announced earlier Saturday it was reimposing restrictions on the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian shipping and ports. Iran has prevented vessels from crossing throughout the seven-week-long war, except for ones it authorizes.

Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliaments National Security Commission, said that the strait was returning to the status quo, which he had earlier described as ships requiring Iranian naval authorization and toll payment before transiting.

The shift came a day after Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the strait open while a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. An end to Israels war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators, who previously accused Israel of breaking last weeks ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel had said that deal did not cover Lebanon.

U.S. President Donald Trump first appeared to take a similar position on reopening the strait before later saying the American blockade will remain in full force regardless of what Iran does until a deal is reached, including about Iran's nuclear program.

RELATED STORY | Oil markets immediately drop after Trump and Iran say Hormuz is open

Even as the U.S.-Iran ceasefire appeared to hold, the back-and-forth over the strait through which roughly one-fifth of the worlds oil typically passes highlighted how easily it could unravel

Control over the strait has proven to be one Irans main points of leverage and prompted the United States to deploy forces and initiate a blockade on Iranian ports as part of an effort to force Iran to accept a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire to end almost seven weeks of war that has raged between Israel, the U.S. and Iran.

A data firm, Kpler, said movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Irans approval.

U.S. forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, U.S. Central Command said on X.

Sky-high ticket prices wont be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring.

Fans trying to get to MetLife Stadium from New York City can expect to shell out $150 for a round-trip train fare for each match, transportation officials confirmed Friday.

Thats nearly 12 times the regular $12.90 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 9-mile (14-kilometer) ride from Manhattans Penn Station to the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On-site parking wont be available for most fans, so New Jersey officials anticipate that around 40,000 fans will use mass transit for each match.

The home stadium for both the NFLs New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host eight World Cup matches, including the tournament final on July 19. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.

New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill has suggested the upcharge was necessary to ensure that her states commuters werent stuck with a tab for years to come for hosting the World Cup on its return to the U.S. for the first time since 1994.

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NJ Transit officials said it would cost $62 million to transport fans to and from the stadium over the duration of the tournament, and that outside grants had defrayed only $14 million of those anticipated expenses.

Charging $150 to each of the estimated 40,000 fans expected to take the rails before each game essentially offsets the Garden States projected $48 million transit bill, according to NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri.

This isnt price gouging, he told reporters Friday. Were literally trying to recoup our costs.

Transit prices in Boston also will be high

Taking public transit to World Cup matches in Boston's suburbs will also be costly.

Express buses from various locations to Gillette Stadium, home of the NFLs New England Patriots, will cost $95, officials announced this week.

And thousands of fans have already snapped up $80 round-trip train tickets from Boston to the commuter rail station near the stadium. Thats four times the $20 riders are normally charged for a round-trip ticket during game days and other special events. Unlike MetLife, Gillette isnt a short hop from downtown. The stadium is located in Foxborough, a town some 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Boston.

Other cities are keeping fares the same

Other World Cup host cities have pledged to keep their transit fares unchanged, noting that the U.S. government has provided some $100 million in transit grants to host cities to provide enhanced bus and rail service.

In Los Angeles, one-way fares will remain $1.75; in Atlanta, theyre locked at $2.50; in Houston, a single ride will still cost $1.25 and in Philadelphia the base fare for the subway will remain $2.90.

Kansas City is running shuttles from locations around the city to Arrowhead Stadium that cost just $15 roundtrip. Its also offering a free bus from the airport to downtown.

Kolluri said the fundamental difference with some of those cities is that their stadiums are located within city limits with more transit options than MetLifes more suburban surroundings.

New Jerseys governor, a Democrat who took office in January, said her administration also inherited an agreement where FIFA, international soccers governing body, contributed $0 for transportation while leaving the states perpetually cash-strapped transit agency stuck with a $48 million bill.

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As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans, Sherrill said Friday. If it wont, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day.

FIFA says it shouldn't pay

FIFA has bristled at the suggestion, noting that the agreements signed with World Cup host cities back in 2018 called for free transportation for fans to all matches. It also argued that no other major event held at MetLife has been required to pay for fan transportation.

We are quite surprised by the NJ Governors approach today on fan transportation, the organization said in a statement Thursday, as news reports of the reported fare began to circulate. FIFA worked for years with host cities on transportation and mobility plans, including advocating for millions of dollars in federal funding to support host cities for transportation.

The huge increase in the fare to MetLife also drew an objection from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me, the Democrat posted on X earlier this week. The surge pricing was first reported by sports outlet The Athletic.

Alternatives to taking the train to MetLife Stadium will be almost as pricey.

A shuttle bus fleet with a capacity for about 10,000 riders will set off from the midtown Manhattan bus terminal and other locations for $80 roundtrip. Some 5,000 parking spots at the nearby American Dream Mall are also being sold in advance, currently priced at $225.

Two male runners who were discovered fraudulently competing on behalf of female colleagues in a top South African marathon have been disqualified and could face two-year bans from the event, along with the two women.

The two women runners swapped their bibs with the two men, who both finished within the top 10 in the womens half-marathon at the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town last Sunday, initially denying those slots to two female runners.

But the cheating was discovered by a marathon board member, and the men were disqualified from their 7th and 10th place finishes. Two women were belatedly recognized instead.

Larissa Parekh was accused of having Luke Jacobs run on her behalf, and Tegan Garvey was accused of having Nic Bradfield run on her behalf, marathon board member Stuart Mann said. All four runners face disciplinary action that could include two-year bans from the event, Mann said.

The annual Two Oceans race is one of South Africas iconic marathons and includes a 56-kilometer (34.7-mile) ultramarathon and a 21.1-kilometer (13.1-mile) half-marathon. The event attracts over 16,000 participants and finishing among the top 10 is a significant achievement for most runners.

Race board member calls swapping bibs unethical

Mann said exchanging bibs has become more common, and can be risky, Not only is it considered unethical, but it also poses health and medicals risks in case of an emergency, as wrong medication may be administered to a wrong person, Mann said.

Various motivations are at play, Mann explained. Some runners give their bib to a stand-in if they have a last-minute injury or some other unexpected reason why they can't run in a race they have registered for. Others do so to deceptively earn faster times than they otherwise could achieve, to qualify for future races, he said.

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Online photos led to the discovery

Mann was tipped off to one of the swaps after Jacobs posted pictures of himself at the race on social media and people noticed that his bib displayed the name Larissa.

Jacobs said in a written apology: I made an error in judgment and did not consider the consequences. I should not have taken part."

Parekh did not provide any clear explanation of how Jacobs ended up with her bib, Mann said. But Garvey admitted she gave hers to Bradfield, saying in a written statement that she had suffered a hip problem before the race.

The day before, my hip gave in completely, leaving me unable to even walk. I felt bad as to give up my race entry so my friend ran in my place, Garvey said.

Mann said both women have apologized.

The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk wants a judge to ban cameras from the courtroom and says live broadcasts of the prosecution are violating his right to a fair trial.

Tyler Robinson was back in state court in Utah Friday as his attorneys press their claims that biased coverage is tainting potential jurors in his aggravated murder case.

Among numerous examples cited was a New York Post story they say suggested Robinson confessed to Kirk's killing during a courtroom conversation on Dec. 11, in his first appearance after being charged. The conversation with his attorneys was inaudible, but the story cited a lip reading analysis to support its claim that Robinson said, I think about the shooting daily.

The predominant purpose being served by the live stream coverage has not been the educational reporting of the court proceedings, but rather advertising profit, sensationalism, political agendas, and, most prominently, the vilification of Mr. Robinson, his attorneys wrote in their request to bar cameras.

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Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson should he be convicted in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist, who was addressing a crowd of thousands on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem.

Robinson, who turned 23 on Thursday, has not yet entered a plea. A trial date has not been set.

Media sensationalism around the case has cut both ways. In a March 30 headline, the U.K.-based Daily Mail reported the bullet that killed Kirk did NOT match a rifle allegedly used by Robinson. The story was based on an inconclusive, preliminary finding by ballistics experts and led to speculation about Robinson's possible exoneration. The FBI is running additional tests, according to court documents.

Media organizations, prosecutors and Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, want the court to allow cameras. They argue the best way to guard against the misinformation and conspiracy theories that concern Robinson's defense team is to make the process transparent.

Yet livestreaming by media outlets already has tested the patience of Judge Tony Graf.

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During the December hearing, Graf briefly stopped the livestream and ordered the camera relocated after it showed the defendants shackles in violation of a courtroom decorum order.

Then, a January hearing was interrupted when Robinson's attorneys said close-up shots of Robinson being livestreamed by a local television station could again lead to claims based on lip reading. That, too, was a violation of Graf's decorum order. The judge ordered the camera operator not to film Robinson for the remainder of the hearing.

In recent hearings and again on Friday the media pool cameras for video and photographs were stationed at the rear of the courtroom, behind Robinson. Graf also has been making camera operators come before him to acknowledge they understand the courtroom decorum rules.

Mike Judd, a lawyer for a coalition of media organizations including The Associated Press that have been fighting to preserve access, said Graf so far has focused on whether his rules inside the courtroom are being followed, not what the media is saying outside of court.

The court can do all of that in order to try to control what gets fed into that media ecosystem, Judd said. You reduce the likelihood of somebody publishing things that you think may be of potentially biasing concern later on.

Policies on cameras and livestreaming vary among states, and many including Utah give judges discretion over whether to allow cameras. Cameras are generally prohibited in federal courts.

There's Supreme Court precedent that says courts generally need to be open to the public, but that's not an absolute right, said University of Utah law professor Teneille Brown. Even if they allow public access, that does not equal a right to broadcast or record.

Robinsons attorneys are seeking to delay his May preliminary hearing, when prosecutors must show that they have enough evidence to proceed to a trial.

Prosecutors have said DNA consistent with Robinsons was found on the trigger of the rifle, the fired cartridge casing, two unfired cartridges and a towel used to wrap the rifle. Defense attorneys note that forensic reports indicate multiple peoples DNA was found on some items, which they say requires a more complex analysis.

Robinson reportedly texted his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he had enough of his hatred, prosecutors have said.

A grand jury indicted a Florida doctor on a manslaughter charge for allegedly removing a patient's liver instead of his spleen during a 2024 surgery.

The prosecutor for the First Judicial Circuit on Monday announced the charge of second-degree manslaughter against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky.

Prosecutors said that during an Aug. 21, 2024, surgery, which was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, Shaknovsky removed the victim's liver instead of his spleen. That resulted in "catastrophic blood loss and the patient's death on the operating table," law enforcement officials wrote in a press release. The patient was a 70-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

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"Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor," Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement.

Available court records did not name an attorney for Shaknovsky.

Florida suspended Shaknovsky's medical license after the surgery. Records show he voluntarily surrendered his medical license in Alabama after regulators moved to revoke his license.

Crashes involving about 70 vehicles snarled a section of a snowy Colorado highway and sent eight people to the hospital.

The pileup Tuesday prompted officials to close the eastbound side of Interstate 70 in Clear Creek County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Denver, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement.

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Officials evaluated 19 people for injuries and took eight of them to the hospital, including one person who had sustained serious bodily injuries, according to the state patrol.

Images online show multiple semitrucks involved in the pileup, with debris lining the roadway, fronts of vehicles smashed and at least one vehicle balanced partially off the ground.

It was not immediately clear what caused the pileup.

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A high school principal in Oklahoma was shot in the leg Tuesday after confronting a man who entered the school with a gun, authorities said.

Pauls Valley High School Principal Kirk Moore is in stable condition, and no students were injured in the shooting, according to authorities. The suspect, a 20-year-old former student, was taken into custody, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesman Hunter McKee told reporters outside the school.

Moore and other staff members quickly confronted the former student after they noticed he entered the school with a gun, McKee said.

The subject was able to fire multiple rounds, where the principal was hurt, but no one else was, McKee said. The actions of the staff and the principal stepping in as soon as they saw a subject with a firearm saved lives today.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said Moore acted bravely to protect students lives" and that he and his wife were praying for his quick recovery.

Im thankful for the swift response from law enforcement and school staff, and Im grateful no students were harmed, he said in a post on the social platform X.

Pauls Valley is a community of about 6,000 people 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.

Federal prosecutors made an unannounced visit this week to a construction site at Federal Reserve headquarters that is the focus of an investigation into a $2.5 billion renovation project, according to two people familiar with the visit.

Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirros office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

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Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from Pirros office conceded that they hadnt found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the headquarters project.

The investigation has faced bipartisan opposition in Congress. It also has delayed Senate consideration of Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trumps pick to replace Fed chairman Jerome Powell when his term ends May 15.

Trump has again threatened to fire Jerome Powell if the Federal Reserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank's governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

Well then Ill have to fire him, OK? Trump told Fox Business in an interview that aired Wednesday when reminded that Powell has said he wont leave the Fed while the Justice Department investigates a $2.5 billion renovation project at the bank.

Trump has for months wanted to remove Powell as chair of the Fed, saying he has been too slow in orchestrating interest rate cuts that would give the U.S. economy a quick boost. Powell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed's independence to set rates. A federal prosecutor last month admitted that the investigation into the renovations had turned up no evidence of a crime.

Powell's term as Fed governor expires May 15, but his term as a Fed board member lasts until January 2028.

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Trump has nominated former Fed official Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell. Yet Warshs confirmation has been delayed. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, has said he wont vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the investigation is dropped.

A student opened fire randomly at two classrooms at a middle school in southeast Turkey on Wednesday, killing four people and wounding 20 others, an official said, in the second such shooting in the country in two days.

The student, who was also killed, arrived at the school, armed with guns believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. The gunman was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The victims included a teacher and three students, Unluer said. At least four of the wounded were in serious condition. The motive of the attack wasn't immediately known.

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The attack came just a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself.

Until this week, such school shootings were rare in Turkey.

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Earlier, media reports said that authorities sent police and ambulances to the school in the Kahramanmaras' Onikisubat district, after gunfire was heard there. Images from the scene showed at least two people being put into ambulances.

Parents rushed to the school after hearing reports of an armed attack, NTV television reported, adding that police took security measures around the school.

The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol to keep President Donald Trump in the White House over five years ago.

Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders last January in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.

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The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase the convictions for the extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.

In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.

The governments motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants, prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

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Juries in Washington, D.C., convicted the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump's 2020 election loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.

U.S. stocks rallied to the edge of an all-time high Tuesday, and oil prices eased as hopes climbed that the United States and Iran may try again on talks to end their war and avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy.

The S&P 500 added 1.2% to its leap from the day before, and the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is just 0.2% below its record set in January.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 317 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2%. They followed gains for stock markets worldwide as diplomats worked through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.

If talks succeed and the war ends up being only a temporary setback for the global economy, rather than a new normal of very high oil prices and inflation, investors can turn their attention back to what matters most for stock prices: How much money are companies making?

RELATED STORY | Trump warns Iranian ships will be eliminated if they approach US blockade

Positive trends there had stock markets worldwide doing well before the war began, and analysts see continued growth ahead, for now at least.

Lower oil prices help bring down costs for all kinds of businesses, and the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June fell 4.6% to settle at $94.79 Tuesday.

While thats still above its roughly $70 price from before the war began in late February, its well below the $119 peak it has hit when worries about the war have been at their heights.

To be sure, hope has often swung quickly into doubt since the war began, which has caused extreme and sudden reversals in financial markets. Much of the stress has been due to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway thats the main avenue for crude oil produced in the Persian Gulf area to reach customers worldwide. Blockages there have kept oil off the global market, which has in turn driven up its price.

And that has meant a blast of higher inflation. In the United States, inflation at the wholesale level accelerated to 4% in March from 3.4% the month before, according to the latest data released Tuesday. That was actually better than the 4.6% rate economists expected.

The effect is worldwide. Global inflation this year looks set to accelerate to 4.4% from 4.1% in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund, which had earlier thought inflation would slow to 3.8%.

RELATED STORY | Inflation jumps on energy price surge after US attacks on Iran

The IMF on Tuesday also downgraded its forecast for global economic growth to 3.1% this year from the 3.3% it had forecast in January.

On Wall Street, strong profit reports from companies are helping to make up for such worries. Over the long term, stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits, and analysts are forecasting S&P 500 companies will report solid growth of more than 12% for the most recent quarter, according to FactSet.

Optimism remains high enough that analysts have raised their estimates since the war began for S&P 500 profits over the first six months of the year, according to strategists at Morgan Stanley.

BlackRock gained 3%, and Citigroup rose 2.6% Tuesday after the financial companies reported stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

JPMorgan Chase likewise delivered a better-than-expected quarter, but its stock dipped 0.8% as CEO Jamie Dimon said bank officials cannot predict how the increasingly complex set of risks will play out given so much uncertainty.

Amazon climbed 3.8% after saying it would buy Globalstar, a mobile satellite services company, for $90 per share in either cash or Amazon stock. Globalstar jumped 9.6%.

Software companies also rallied for a second day, recovering more of their sharp losses from earlier in the year on worries they could be made obsolete by artificial-intelligence technology. AppLovin rose 3.9%, and an ETF from iShares tracking the software industry added 1%.

That in turn helped private-credit companies recover. These companies have lent money to software businesses and others that may be under threat from AI, and some have seen a rush of investors trying to pull out their money.

Blue Owl Capital rose 8.5% to trim its loss for the year so far below 39%. Ares Management climbed 5.6%, and Apollo Global Management rose 4.4%.

They helped offset a 5.7% drop for Wells Fargo, which reported weaker revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 81.14 points to 6,967.38. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 317.74 to 48,535.99, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 455.35 to 23,639.08.

In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia. South Koreas Kospi jumped 2.7%, and Japans Nikkei 225 rose 2.4% for two of the bigger gains.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased as the fall for oil prices took some of the pressure off inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.30% late Monday.

Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was placed on probation Tuesday for 18 months for a confrontation with his executive assistant soon after he was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her.

Moore was facing a possible sentence of up to six months in jail after pleading no contest to trespassing and malicious use of a telecom device. But Judge J. Cedric Simpson ordered no time in custody.

A felony charge of home invasion, as well as stalking and illegal entry misdemeanors, were dropped.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Sherrone Moore jailed as police investigate situation that led to the fired Michigan coach's arrest

Moore, 40, was fired on Dec. 10 after leading the Wolverines for two seasons, following Jim Harbaughs move to the NFLs Los Angeles Chargers. It was a stunning dismissal at one of college footballs most prestigious programs.

Moore was accused that same day of confronting the woman with whom he had been having an affair and blaming her for his firing, even threatening to kill himself with butter knives in her apartment. Authorities said the woman had ended the affair and spoken to school officials about it.

Moore was charged with felony home invasion and two additional charges. But Washtenaw County prosecutors agreed to a deal in which he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors. The felony charge was dropped.

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The agreement came after defense lawyer Ellen Michaels planned to aggressively challenge how police gathered information to get an arrest warrant.

Moore did not harm himself and was peacefully arrested in a parking lot away from the woman's apartment.

Even before Virginia voters decide on a new congressional map, Democrats are piling in to run for districts proposed under a redistricting plan that is designed to give their party a near sweep of the states U.S. House seats.

The latest entrant is Olivia Troye, who was an aide to former Republican Vice President Mike Pence and has become a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. She announced Tuesday that she'll run in Virginia's newly created 7th Congressional District, joining an already crowded field.

Voters will decide April 21 whether to adopt a Democratic-drawn congressional map that could help the party win four more U.S. House seats, a rare and enticing prospect for ambitious Democrats.

I just feel like we need people that are going to stand up and fight, Troye said. And Im not seeing that right now, across the Democratic and Republican parties."

RELATED STORY| Virginia court allows a referendum on Democrat-led redistricting that could flip 4 US House seats

The proposed district where Troye wants to run was designed to be an easy general election win for Democrats, taking in territory that is now part of six different districts.

About a half-dozen Democrats have announced plans to run in the district if voters approve the new boundaries. They include Dorothy McAuliffe, Virginia's former first lady, and former federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney, who served as a deputy to special counsel Jack Smith and was fired by Trump.

The sprawling district would have a population center in the heavily Democratic northern Virginia suburbs of Washington and would stretch deep into rural areas that favor Republicans.

Crowded primaries are also shaping up in some of the other newly formed districts, though the 7th District has an unusually deep stable of prominent candidates.

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Virginia is the latest state to push a partisan redistricting plan before the 2026 midterms, when Democrats are looking to gain the House majority and the power it would give them to stymie Trumps agenda.

Virginia's map aims to give Democrats the edge in 10 of the state's 11 U.S. House districts, replacing the current map that elected a congressional delegation with six Democrats and five Republicans.

Trump instigated a redistricting arms race last year when he pressed Texas Republicans to adopt new boundaries aimed at giving Republicans as many as five new House seats there. California voters responded with a plan favoring Democrats. Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have adopted Republican-friendly maps.

Democrats in Maryland this week rejected a plan to adopt a map favoring their party, while Florida Republicans are pressing ahead with their own redistricting plan.

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday following sexual assault allegations that he continues to deny.

I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made but thats my fight, not a campaigns, Swalwell said in a social media post.

Democrats quickly abandoned him after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, were published Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. The reports came as Swalwell began to emerge as a leader contender in the crowded race.

His exit from the race comes less than a month before ballots go out in advance of the June 2 primary and as Democrats have been engaged in a messy primary campaign. Swalwell's Democratic rivals were among those who swiftly urged him to exit the race, but his support also cratered among allies in Congress and labor unions who had endorsed him.

Some Democrats also urged Swalwell to resign his seat in Congress, but he made no mention of that Sunday.

The 48-hour period marked a rapid reversal for a candidate who appeared to be gaining momentum in the packed field to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cant seek a third term.

Though Swalwell has denied the allegations, he has seemingly referenced infidelity in multiple statements.

To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past, he wrote. That followed a video post on Friday where he apologized to his wife.

Swalwell's exit shakes up campaign

The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial race that had Democrats fretting the partys large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November. Thats because California has a top-two primary system in which two candidates advance regardless of party.

Swalwell had become a clear target for his Democratic rivals as he began to lock up institutional support. Some had seized on rumors of sexual misconduct that circulated on social media for weeks before the Chronicle's report.

His departure from the race will leave his rivals scrambling to win over his supporters and donors. Other prominent Democrats in the race include billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter. The major Republican contenders are former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who has Trumps backing, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The San Francisco Chronicle spoke to a woman who alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019, when she worked for him, and again in 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex. CNN reported on allegations that appeared to come from the same woman, and spoke to several other women who accused Swalwell of other sexual misconduct.

Neither outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said it's investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.

House colleagues call for Swalwell to resign

As Swalwell's campaign flailed over the weekend, fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernndez of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

This is not a partisan issue, Jayapal said Sunday. This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.

Some representative said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside.

It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, which began with allies like Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez cutting their support. Gomez had helped run Swalwells campaign and said he was immediately ending his role.

With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process.

Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales ends reelection bid after admitting to affair with aide

Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernndez said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

Swalwell, who is originally from Iowa, was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 but shuttered it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters. He is perhaps best known nationally as a House manager in President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial during his first term in early 2021.

U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday on President Donald Trumps broadside against him over the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, telling reporters that the Vaticans appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel, and that he doesnt fear the Trump administration.

To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is, Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. And Im sorry to hear that but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.

Historys first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the delusion of omnipotence that is fueling the Iran wars and other conflicts around the world.

I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: Blessed are the peacemakers, Leo said.

I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time thats possible

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV steps up criticism of US-Iran conflict, urges end to war

Speaking to other reporters, he added: Im not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for.''

We are not politicans. We do not look at foreign policy from the same perspective that he may have,'' the pope said, adding, I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems.

"Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way,'' he said.

Trump says Leo is not doing a very good job

Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Leo on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the U.S.-born global leader of the Catholic Church is doing a very good job and that he's a very liberal person," while also suggesting the pontiff should stop catering to the Radical Left.

Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticize Leo, then kept it up after deplaning, in comments on the tarmac to reporters.

Im not a fan of Pope Leo, he said.

Trump's comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a delusion of omnipotence is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. While its not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, its exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader and Trumps stinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so.

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, the president wrote in his post, adding, I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."

Italian politicians across the spectrum showed their solidarity with Leo. Premier Giorgia Meloni sent a message of support for his peace mission while the leader of the main opposition party, Elly Schlein, was more direct, calling Trumps attacks extremely serious.

Trump repeated that sentiment in comments to reporters, saying, We dont like a pope who says its OK to have a nuclear weapon.

Later, Trump posted a picture suggesting he had saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.

Leo's opposition to war irked Trump

All of that came after Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peters Basilica on Saturday, the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire. The pope didnt mention the United States or Trump by name, but his tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

Leo, who is on an 11-day trip to Africa starting Monday has previously said that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them. He's also referenced an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that even though you make many prayers, I will not listen your hands are full of blood.

Before the ceasefire, when Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and other infrastructure and that an entire civilization will die tonight, Leo described such sentiments as truly unacceptable.

In his social media post on Sunday night, however, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.

The president wrote, I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States. That was a reference to the Trump administration having ousted Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro in January.

I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, Trump added, referencing his 2024 election victory.

He also suggested in the post that Leo only got his position because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, Trump wrote, adding, Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church!

In his subsequent comments to reporters, Trump remained highly critical, saying of Leo, I dont think hes doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess and adding, Hes a very liberal person.

Bishops say the pope is not a politician

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement saying he was disheartened by Trump's comments.

Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls, Coakley said.

The Italian Bishops' Conference expressed regret over Trump's words, and underlined that the pope "is not a political counterpart, but the successor of Peter, called to serve the Gospel, truth and peace.''

In the 2024 election, Trump won 55% of Catholic voters, according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. But Trump's administration also has close ties to conservative evangelical Protestant leaders and has claimed heavenly endorsement for the war on Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Americans to pray for victory in the name of Jesus Christ. And, when Trump was asked whether he thought God approved of the war, he said, I do, because God is good because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a painful election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Partial official results show opposition leader Peter Magyar's party dominating the vote, in a bombshell election result with repercussions around Europe and beyond. Thank you, Hungary!'' Magyar posted on X, as thousands of his supporters thronged the banks of the Danube in Budapest.

Across town, Orban told his followers that I congratulated the victorious party.''

We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well,'' he said.

With 60% of the vote counted, Magyars Tisza party had more than 52% support to 38% for Orbn's governing Fidesz party. That proportion will change as more votes are counted.

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It's a major blow for Orbn, the European Unions longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.

The parties of both Orbn and Magyar said they had received reports of electoral violations, suggesting some results could be disputed by both sides.

Voters showed up in droves

Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungarys post-Communist history.

Im asking our supporters and all Hungarians: Lets stay peaceful, cheerful, and if the results confirm our expectations, lets throw a big, Hungarian carnival, Magyar said.

Orbns chief of staff, Gergely Gulys, said the record high turnout showed that Hungarian democracy is extremely strong.

Choice between East or West

Orbn has repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russias full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to President Vladimir Putin and refusing to end Hungarys dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports.

Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russias behalf within the bloc.

The election was closely watched in countries around Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the outsize role Orbn occupies in far-right populist politics worldwide.

Members of Trump's Make America Great Again movement are among those who see Orbn's government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.

After casting his vote, Magyar told reporters that the election was a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life.

Casting his ballot in Budapest, Marcell Mehringer, 21, said he was voting primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred.

Strained relationship with the EU

During his 16 years as prime minister, Orbn has launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary's institutions and been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

He also has heavily strained Hungary's relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orbn has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.

Most recently, he blocked a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

Serious challenger on the rise

Magyar rapidly rose to become Orbn's most serious challenger. The 45-year-old leader of the center-right Tisza party, which led in independent polls, campaigned on issues affecting ordinary voters including Hungarys faltering public health care and transportation sectors and what he describes as rampant government corruption.

A former insider within Orbn's Fidesz, Magyar broke with the party in 2024 and quickly formed Tisza. Since then, he has toured Hungary relentlessly, holding rallies in settlements big and small in a campaign blitz that recently had him visiting up to six towns daily.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Magyar said the election will be a referendum on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Russia under Orbn, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.

Tisza won 30% of the vote in European Parliament elections in 2024, and Magyar took a seat as an EU lawmaker. Tisza is a member of the European People's Party, the mainstream, center-right political family with leaders governing 12 of the EU's 27 nations.

Uphill election battle

Magyar and Tisza face a tough fight. Orbn's control of Hungary's public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market give him an advantage in spreading his message.

The unilateral transformation of Hungary's electoral system and gerrymandering of its 106 voting districts by Fidesz also will require Tisza to gain an estimated 5% more votes than Orbns party to achieve a simple majority.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries had the right to vote in Hungarian elections and traditionally have voted overwhelmingly for Orbn's party.

Fidesz and Tisza both have launched platforms for reporting irregularities, accusing their opponents of planning to commit election abuses.

Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Orbn's favor, according to numerous media reports including by The Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungary's allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a pro-Ukraine government.

Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Orbn as a danger to the bloc's future.

But across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orbn term. Trump has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orbn over the finish line.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would immediately begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

U.S. Central Command announced that it will blockade all Iranian ports beginning Monday at 10 a.m. ET.

CENTCOM said the blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations. It said it would still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wants to weaken Irans key leverage in the war after demanding that it reopen the strait to all global traffic on the waterway that was responsible for 20% of global oil shipping before fighting began.

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

RELATED STORY | Vance says talks with Iran have ended without an agreement to end war

going to be all or none, and thats the way it is," Trump told Fox News.

Trump said on social media that he told the Navy to "seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. He said other nations would be involved but did not name them.

Freedom of peaceful navigation is a basic principle of international maritime trade.

Iran says if you fight, we will fight

Irans Revolutionary Guard later said the strait remained under Irans full control and was open for non-military vessels, but military ones would get a forceful response, two semi-official Iranian news agencies reported.

During the 21-hour talks, the U.S. military said two destroyers had transited the strait ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Iran denied it.

Trumps plan to use the Navy to block the strait is unrealistic and he will have to concede on some issues with Iran, said Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer in security studies at Kings College London. There isnt any tool in the toolbox in terms of the military lever that he could use to get his way, Krieg said.

Trump said Tehrans nuclear ambitions were at the core of the talks' failure. In comments to Fox News, he again threatened to strike civilian infrastructure.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Irans side, addressed Trump in a new statement on his return to Iran: If you fight, we will fight.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Pope Leo XIV steps up criticism of US-Iran conflict, urges end to war

No word on what happens after ceasefire expires

The face-to-face talks that ended early Sunday were the highest-level negotiations between the longtime rivals since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Neither indicated what will happen after the ceasefire expires on April 22.

We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, said Vice President JD Vance, leading the U.S. side.

Iranian negotiators could not agree to all U.S. red lines, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to describe positions on the record. These included Iran never obtaining a nuclear weapon, ending uranium enrichment, dismantling major enrichment facilities and allowing retrieval of its highly enriched uranium, along with opening the Strait of Hormuz and ending funding for Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthi rebels.

Iranian officials said talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach. Qalibaf, who noted progress in negotiations, said it was time for the United States to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue in the coming days. Iran said it was open to continuing dialogue, state-run IRNA news agency reported.

The European Union urged further diplomatic efforts. The foreign minister of Oman, located on the Strait of Hormuz's southern coast, called for parties to make painful concessions." The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to help bring about a diplomatic settlement in a call with Iran's president.

Iran's nuclear program is a key sticking point

Irans nuclear program was at the center of tensions long before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,055 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and damaged infrastructure in half a dozen countries.

Tehran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but insists on its right to a civilian nuclear program. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump later pulled the U.S. out of, took well over a year of negotiations. Experts say Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, though not weapons-grade, is only a short technical step away.

An Iranian diplomatic official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of closed-door talks, denied that negotiations had failed over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Inside Iran, there was new exhaustion and anger after months of unrest that began with nationwide protests against economic issues and then political ones, followed by weeks of sheltering from U.S. and Israeli bombardment.

We have never sought war. But if they try to win what they failed to win on the battlefield through talks, thats absolutely unacceptable, Mohammad Bagher Karami said in Tehran.

Elsewhere in the region, airstrikes calmed over the past day except in Lebanon.

More questions as Israel presses ahead in Lebanon

Irans 10-point proposal for the talks called for a halt to Israeli strikes on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has said the ceasefire did not apply there, but Iran and Pakistan said it did.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited parts of southern Lebanon under Israeli control on Sunday, for the first time since the current fighting. Attacks on southern Lebanon have intensified alongside the ground invasion renewed after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in the wars opening days.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington after Israels surprise announcement authorizing talks despite their lack of official relations. Israel wants Lebanon to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, but the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people, according to the Health Ministry.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported six people were killed Sunday in Maaroub village near the coastal city of Tyre.