India, April 14 -- US President Donald Trump on Monday refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV after criticizing the pontiff's opposition to the war in Iran, while also attempting to explain a now-deleted social media post that depicted him as Jesus, saying he believed the image showed him as a doctor.

Trump was questioned about his remarks toward the US-born pope, as well as the post portraying him as a healer.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he said. He added of Pope Leo XIV: "Pope Leo said things that are wrong".

"He was very much against what I'm doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result," Trump said, adding, "I think he's very weak on crime and other things so I...