Trump publicly criticized Giorgia Meloni

Report By Y-Trendz

President Trump publicly criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, saying she "made a mistake" by declining to back the United States during its military operation involving Iran, marking the latest strain in what had once been one of his closer relationships among European leaders.

Speaking to reporters alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of their bilateral meeting in Ankara, held on the sidelines of the NATO summit, Trump said ties with Meloni had soured because Italy refused to participate in efforts tied to the Strait of Hormuz and the broader confrontation with Iran. According to Reuters, Trump called her a "nice person" while still faulting her for not helping the U.S. He said he hadn't pressured her heavily, but that she had refused to get involved with the Hormuz Strait situation, or with Iran more broadly, and that this had left him unhappy.

Trump went on to argue that European nations had a direct stake in Gulf stability because of their reliance on Middle Eastern oil, contrasting that with what he described as America's own energy abundance. He suggested the U.S. does not depend on the strait for its own oil needs and framed Washington's involvement as a matter of principle rather than necessity.

The remarks extended beyond Meloni. Trump broadened his criticism to include several NATO allies more generally, saying he had been "testing" whether European partners would stand with Washington during the Iran operation, and that Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom had all declined to participate. By contrast, he praised Erdogan, saying Turkey had chosen to stay out of the conflict militarily despite having the capability to get involved, and had instead played a constructive role in efforts to end the fighting.

The friction with Meloni is notable given how the two leaders' relationship began. Meloni was the only European leader to attend Trump's 2025 inauguration, and she had worked to build a close rapport with him, partly on the basis of their shared right-wing political outlook, according to Reuters and the Times of Israel. That relationship had already been fraying before Tuesday's comments. Last month, Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni had "begged" him for a photo together at a G7 summit in France — a claim she publicly denied, accusing him of fabricating the account. Tensions deepened further after Meloni criticized Trump earlier this year over his comments directed at Pope Leo, who had condemned the war with Iran; Trump responded by rebuking her over Italy's refusal to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Rome's response to the latest broadside has been notably restrained. Italian officials have said they do not intend to respond publicly to Trump's remarks in order to avoid further damaging bilateral relations. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told the newspaper La Stampa that the Italian government had decided to stop reacting to the president's social media provocations, framing his comments as characteristic of his communication style rather than something requiring a formal rebuttal. Meloni's office reportedly declined to say how she would approach the situation when she and Trump crossed paths at the NATO summit in Ankara.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of a broader and increasingly complicated relationship between Washington and its NATO allies over the Iran conflict. Trump separately told reporters he was "very disappointed" with NATO's overall response to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, a war he has at times downplayed by describing it as more of a "military operation" or a "denuclearization" effort than a full-scale war. His comments came the same day the U.S. launched a fresh round of strikes on Iran, in retaliation for Iranian attacks on commercial tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz — the very waterway at the center of his complaint against Meloni and other allies who declined to get involved.

For Meloni, long seen as one of the more ideologically aligned European leaders with Trump, the public criticism represents a symbolically significant setback, underscoring how difficult it has become even for Washington's friendliest partners in Europe to avoid friction as the administration presses allies to take sides in the widening confrontation with Tehran.