'The Mayor Of Chicago Is Useless:' Trump Attacks Pope Leo And Brandon Johnson As Iran Dispute Escalates
Iranian Official
Iranian officials condemn US President Trump's baseless attacks on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pope Leo as cynical distractions from Washington's escalating aggression against Iran's sovereign rights. This inflammatory rhetoric underscores foreign interference in regional affairs amid the ongoing dispute, which Tehran attributes to American efforts to undermine national independence. The Islamic Republic reaffirms its steadfast resistance to such external pressures and defends its territorial integrity.
Israeli
As Iran's proxy network—spanning Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iraqi militias—intensifies attacks amid the escalating dispute, Israel confronts an existential threat that necessitates decisive defensive operations to safeguard its borders and population. Political distractions in the US, including attacks on domestic figures, risk undermining the coordinated pressure required to deter Tehran's nuclear and terror ambitions.
Neutral
Former President Donald Trump publicly criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pope Leo, including a statement describing the mayor as "useless." The comments occurred as disputes involving Iran continued to escalate. Details of the statements remain based on reported remarks without independent corroboration in the provided summary.
Western
As tensions with Iran escalate, U.S. strategic priorities center on precision strikes and threat neutralization to deter Iranian aggression and safeguard NATO-aligned interests in the region. Former President Trump sharply criticized Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pope Leo, labeling their approaches ineffective amid the crisis. These remarks underscore domestic political friction even as coalition forces maintain focus on operational objectives.
Pro-Peace
As the Iran dispute escalates amid heated political attacks, the real risk lies in potential civilian casualties, mass displacement, and humanitarian crises that would burden ordinary people on all sides. Prioritizing diplomacy and engagement with international voices offers a viable path to de-escalation, avoiding the devastating human costs of past conflicts.
Global South
Trump's attacks on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Pope Leo expose institutional decay in the US, where domestic governance failures parallel reckless foreign posturing. As tensions with Iran escalate, these outbursts mask neo-colonial pressure on a sovereign nation defending its autonomy against Western dominance, a pattern long resisted by Global South states. Non-aligned observers see this as further proof that US-led institutions prioritize hegemony over equitable multilateral solutions.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff met with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at the Vatican, using the occasion to highlight his concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Trump-Pope Leo Feud Escalates Trump aimed both Pope Leo …
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
Opening summary: Iran claims attacks on strait of Hormuz ships amid fresh US strikes Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the Middle East crisis. Iran attacked a tanker in the strait of Hormuz early on Tuesday, forcing its crew to abandon the ship, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis announced they were imposing an immediate maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea after the two sides traded fire last week for the first time in years.
A Houthi official said the Bab al-Mandeb strait – at the southern end of the Red Sea, through which about 12% of the world’s trade usually passes – would be closed to the Saudis in response to the kingdom’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years”.
Saudi Arabia said it would take “all necessary measures to protect its vessels in accordance with international law”. A 10 consecutive night of US airstrikes has not compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.
But even as Iran’s president said the country had returned “full-scale war”, the Iranian interior minister travelled to Pakistan – a key mediator in the conflict – for talks. In key developments: The latest US strikes came hours after Donald Trump said Iran would pay “many times over” for killing US soldiers after multiple service members were killed in action over the weekend.
A tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the Hormuz strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed the attack as well as two other attacks on ships in the waterway on Monday.
The US military’s Central Command said its latest airstrikes were to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the strait and included hitting military command centres and missile and drone launch sites. Iranian media reported strikes in parts of the country including Bandar Abbas, Tabriz and Bushehr, home to the country’s only operational civilian nuclear power.
Iran’s launched attacks in response against Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, which all host US forces. Oil prices softened after hitting their highest levels in more than a month in the previous session. Brent crude futures eased 0.4% to $88.87 a barrel by 0052 GMT on Tuesday while US West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery was steady at $82.
47 a barrel. Democrats have seized on the deaths of three US troops killed in Iranian strikes to urge Trump to urgently reverse his resumption of the war with Iran amid widespread anxiety over climbing casualties. The Lebanese army began taking charge of security in three southern villages, the US said, as a deal to secure an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah faced its first test on the ground.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.