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At 9:30 p.m. on the 18th, episode 448 of KBS1 ‘Correspondent Report: The World Now’ delivers a range of global stories, including the issue of President Trump of the United States squaring off with Pope Leo XIV over a ‘Jesus cosplay photo’.
■ Talks collapse shock, a strait that has grown more dangerous
On the 12th, the first end-of-war talks between Iran and the United States ended without resolution. The promised truce end date is the 21st, now less than a week away.
“The U.S. Navy will blockade all vessels seeking to enter or depart the Strait of Hormuz” - April 12 Truth Social (SNS) Trump post
After the talks collapsed, the U.S. military announced a blockade on vessels using Iranian ports as origin or destination. The U.S. strait blockade began at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on the 13th. More than 15 warships, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, were deployed in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The move aimed to halt Iran’s crude exports and cut off resupply of war materiel, applying ‘reverse blockade’ pressure.
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There is also analysis that the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is aimed not only at Iran but at China as well. To date, the Chinese government has imported Iranian oil under U.S. sanctions at prices discounted 20~50% from market rates. Crude oil that China imports via Gulf states accounts for 42% of its total, with Iran making up 12% of that. In fact, after the U.S. reverse blockade, two Chinese vessels that were under U.S. sanctions reportedly attempted to transit the Strait of Hormuz but ultimately turned back.
According to the United States, no vessels have broken through the blockade so far, and a total of nine ships have returned to Iran in compliance with U.S. military orders. In response, Iran has pulled out the Red Sea blockade card, warning that “the United States is continuing an illegal maritime blockade and threatening the safety of Iranian merchant ships and tankers,” and that if the measures persist, it will not allow import-export activities in the Red Sea.
This is the first time Iran has officially mentioned a Red Sea blockade. The Red Sea carries 10% of global seaborne trade, and if it too were blockaded following the Strait of Hormuz, an even more severe shock to the global economy is expected. As attention focuses on whether a second round of end-of-war talks will be held, we examine the mounting tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
■ Trump, the man trying to become God? He takes aim at the pope
A single photo that Trump posted on social media has ignited a ‘blasphemy’ controversy. He uploaded an image of himself in white garments with a red cloak, placing his hand on the forehead of a sick person. In the background are American symbols such as the Stars and Stripes and the Statue of Liberty. The photo went up without any special caption, but the reaction was considerable: people said that anyone who looked at it would be reminded of Jesus.
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The episode began when Trump unleashed a tirade against Pope Leo XIV. In a Truth Social post on the 12th, he said, “The pope is weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy,” and, “I don’t want a pope who criticizes the American president,” among other remarks. He even claimed that Leo was able to be elected pope because he became president, and that the pontiff should be grateful to him.
Trump kept up the harsh rhetoric toward the pope because of the pontiff’s critical messages about the war with Iran. Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, enjoys overwhelming support among Catholics in the United States. He had previously spoken out on the Trump administration’s immigration and foreign policies. But with the war in Iran as a turning point, he began issuing forthright messages of criticism. He declared, “God does not bless any war, and blesses even less those who drop bombs,” voicing strong opposition to the war, and, in response to Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization, added that it was “truly unacceptable.”
Beyond his attacks on the pope, Trump has been driven into a corner by the ‘blasphemy’ controversy as well. Trump, clad in white with a red cloak, placing his hand on the forehead of a sick person; American symbols such as the Stars and Stripes and the Statue of Liberty are arranged in the background. A pastor from the religious organization to which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth belongs criticized it bluntly as “blasphemy.” John Yep, a former missionary and head of a Catholic activist group who has hosted religious events at Trump’s residence, expressed disappointment, saying, “He was the president for whom we cast such overwhelming votes, and yet he is disregarding our faith.” This week, <Correspondent Report: The World Now> looks at Trump’s predicamentfacing possible defections from his base amid a clash with the pope and a blasphemy uproar ahead of the midtermsand examines why.
Episode 448 of ‘Correspondent Report: The World Now’ features anchor Yoon Soo-Young, Professor Kim Jae-Cheon (Sogang University), Head Oh Geon-Young (Shinhan Bank), Professor Park Hyun-Do (Sogang University), and Professor Yoon Young-Hwi (Kyungpook National University), and will air live on KBS1 at 9:30 p.m. on April 18.
