Step two is here. After the step from the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the market expected Trump to take this step, and the market started to rebound. Now the second step has arrived, coming from the Pope. Just hours before Trump’s deadline, Pope Leo criticized Trump’s existential threats against Iran. ‘Today, as we all know, such threats have been made against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,’ he said as he left his countryside residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, Italy. Pope Leo, who has publicly opposed war with Iran, called on people worldwide to contact their political representatives and urge them to push for an end to this escalating regional conflict. Earlier today, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement urging Trump to step back from the brink of war and pursue a just resolution through negotiations for the sake of peace.