U.S. President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, accusing her of a lack of courage regarding Middle East security and energy interests. The verbal assault, delivered during a six-minute telephone interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, marks a significant breakdown in the relationship between the two leaders.
Trump’s comments followed Meloni’s condemnation of his recent remarks regarding Pope Leo XIV. The Italian Prime Minister called Trump’s criticisms of the Pontiff “inacceptable,” stating that it is “just and normal that he invokes peace and condemns any form of war.”
Trump responded by targeting Meloni’s foreign policy stance, particularly her reluctance to engage in security operations in the Middle East. “It is she who is unacceptable, because she does not care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow Italy to pieces in two minutes if it had the chance,” Trump said, according to El Mostrador.
Trump also criticized Meloni’s stance on energy security and the Strait of Hormuz. He claimed that while Europe pays the “highest energy costs in the world,” nations are unwilling to defend vital shipping lanes. “They depend on Donald Trump to keep it open,” he asserted.
Regarding the current state of the Italian leadership, Trump told Corriere della Sera, “I thought she had courage but I was wrong.” He further added, “She is no longer the same person, and Italy will not be the same country. Immigration is killing Italy and all of Europe.”
Trump also addressed the recent electoral defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. While noting the result was not his choice, he defended his ally, saying, “He is a friend of mine, a good man, he did a good work in immigration. He did not let people come and ruin his country like they did Italy.”
Nuclear deadlock in Pakistan
The diplomatic friction between Washington and Rome occurs as high-level negotiations between the United States and Iran have hit a standstill. According to Al Jazeera, U.S. and Iranian delegations met in Islamabad, Pakistan, over the weekend but failed to reach an agreement regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
The primary sticking point involves the duration of a proposed moratorium on enrichment. Reports indicate the Trump administration is demanding that Iran suspend its enrichment program for 20 years in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran, however, has refused to agree to any moratorium exceeding five years.
This impasse threatens broader ceasefire talks. The dispute centers on the level of enrichment, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) notes must drop below 20 percent for civilian use, while levels exceeding 90 percent are considered weapons-grade.
Simultaneously, Italy is distancing itself from other regional allies. France24 reported on Tuesday that Prime Minister Meloni has suspended a defense cooperation deal with Israel. The move follows recent criticism from the Italian government regarding Israeli military actions in Lebanon, which have resulted in hundreds of casualties.
Trump concluded his remarks by describing NATO as a “paper tiger,” claiming he had requested Italy send minesweepers to the region to no avail. He also criticized European energy policies, stating that Europe is “destroying itself from the inside.”
