Iran Dispute Pushes Trump and Meloni Further Apart

US President Donald Trump described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “nice person”, but at the same time criticized her for not helping the United States during the conflict with Iran. His latest remarks are deepening diplomatic tensions between Washington and Rome.

At the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said that their relations had deteriorated after Meloni refused to get involved. “So it soured my relationship with her a little bit. But I like her. I think she’s a nice person. But I think she made a mistake”, he told reporters.

Relations between the two leaders were already strained last month when Trump claimed that Meloni had begged him for a photo together at the G7 summit in France. The Italian prime minister denied this and accused him of making up the story.

Furthermore, in March, Italy refused to allow US military aircraft to land at the Sigonella base in Sicily before flying to the Middle East, as Washington, according to Rome, had not requested prior approval.

The Italian government has not responded to Trump’s latest remarks. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that the cabinet does not want to escalate tensions that could damage bilateral relations. A source close to Meloni indicated that she would likely greet Trump “with a smile” when they meet in Ankara.

(Reuters, bak)