Steering pumps have internal sliding vanes that push the steering fluid around the system. If you lose enough fluid, these vanes can wear or bend and dump metal fragments into the fluid. If rotating the pump pulley is difficult ("tough" as you say) something is preventing the pump from rotating easily. It's unusual but not impossible that pump shaft bearings have failed. If so you can expect the pulley to wobble of move in and out a few mm. Assuming that there are no leaks and no squashed pipe or hoses, and the belt is tight, a failing pump will often make quite a lot of noise: whining or clicking or metal-on-metal grating.
I would check fluid level and belt tension
I believe your pump is failing. It sounds like it may be attempting to lock up. How is the fluid level?
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