Trump Escalates Clash With Italy Over Support on Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump sharpened his criticism of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, accusing Italy of benefiting from decades of American protection while refusing to stand with Washington against Iran. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said, “For decades we have protected them, but when they are tested, they are not there to protect us and the rest of the world.”

In the same attack, Trump argued that after “wasting trillions of dollars on NATO,” Italy would not even consider intervening against the Islamic Republic of Iran and what he called its “very serious nuclear threat.” The comments came as the U.S. and Iran are linked to ongoing understandings over uranium.

The dispute between Trump and Meloni had already intensified last weekend, when Trump claimed in an interview with Italy’s Channel 7 that Meloni had “begged” to be photographed with him during the G7 summit. In response, Italy’s foreign minister canceled a planned visit to the United States.

Meloni has criticized Trump’s behavior and questioned why he is acting this way toward long-time U.S. allies, saying this was not the first time such an episode had occurred.