The US president escalated his public break with one of his closest European allies on Wednesday, telling Fox News that Italy’s refusal to back the Iran war had fundamentally changed the bilateral relationship. The comments drew a firm but measured response from Foreign Minister Tajani.
Donald Trump has seldom needed much encouragement to repeat himself, and on Wednesday he did so with characteristic bluntness. Speaking to Fox News presenter Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria, Trump said he no longer holds the same rapport with Meloni, calling her “negative.” “Whoever refused their help in managing the situation with Iran, we no longer have the same relationship with that country,” he said. “Just so you know: Italy receives large quantities of oil from the Strait of Hormuz.”
The remarks came just twenty-four hours after Trump had told Corriere della Sera that he was “shocked” by the Italian premier and had been wrong to think she had courage.
Trump also said he had not spoken to Meloni “in a long time,” and offered a broader indictment of the relationship. “She doesn’t want to help us with NATO, she doesn’t want to help us get rid of nuclear weapons. She’s very different from what I thought,” he added.
The scale of the reversal is striking. Only weeks ago, Trump had praised Meloni as “a great leader” in another phone conversation with Corriere della Sera, saying she “always tries to help.”
Pope, war and a word
The trigger remains Meloni’s decision on Monday to describe Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV — who has repeatedly called for an end to the US-Israeli war on Iran — as “unacceptable.” Trump’s Corriere interview on Tuesday responded in kind, calling Meloni “unacceptable” in return, accusing her of being indifferent to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Meloni has not directly responded to Trump’s attacks.
Trump’s attacks are part of a wider pattern, as world leaders who opposed the US-Israeli war on Iran find themselves torn between Washington’s ire, electorates deeply hostile to the conflict and a sense of what action is right.
Tajani: loyalty and respect are non-negotiable
With Meloni declining to engage publicly, it fell to Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Antonio Tajani, speaking to Italian journalists in Berlin on Wednesday, to draw the coalition’s red lines.
“A relationship of alliance and friendship like that between Italy and the United States must be based on loyalty and respect,” Tajani said. “A disagreement on a topic doesn’t jeopardise an alliance.” He reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to NATO as a cornerstone of national policy. “NATO was valid when it was born, it has been valid all these years, and it remains valid today.” He added that Italy would continue to work for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
On Pope Leo XIV, Tajani was equally direct. “He is a man of peace and preaches peace. The Pope has a duty to defend the Gospel, and he did well to say it. We agree with his words.” Trump’s characterisation of the pontiff as weak and terrible on foreign policy, he added, was simply “unacceptable.” Tajani also wrote on X that Italy and the US were “staunch supporters of Western unity” and “steadfast allies,” but that this unity was “built on mutual loyalty, respect, and honesty.”
Tajani used the Berlin visit to cover other ground, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan and announcing €30 million in new projects for the country. He pledged to press China to do more for international stability, indicating that Rome was willing to host peace talks between Israel and Lebanon.
A political gift wrapped in insults
Analysts have noted the political irony of Trump’s intervention. “I actually think this is a godsend for her,” said Nathalie Tocci, director of the International Affairs Institute. “Trump has become completely toxic across Europe, across much of the world, including Italy.” PBS
The rupture marks a striking reversal for a prime minister who had cultivated one of Europe’s closest relationships with Trump since his return to office and had been widely regarded as Washington’s most reliable European ally. Whether it represents a permanent realignment or a bilateral squall that will pass remains, for now, an open question.
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