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Donald Trump once again criticized Italy and its Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, this Sunday, accusing them of not having engaged in the war against Iran despite decades of U.S. military support through NATO.
In a message posted on his Truth Social network, Trump criticized Meloni and the Italian Government with a direct remark: "After spending trillions of dollars on NATO, Italy —and its Prime Minister— wouldn’t even consider getting involved with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its serious nuclear threat. For decades, we have defended them, but when it comes down to it, they are not there to defend us or the rest of the world."
The new attack comes at the end of a week of rising tension between the two leaders, who until recently were seen as close allies within the western conservative political spectrum.
The trigger for the crisis was an interview with Trump on the Italian network La7, broadcast on Thursday, where the president claimed that Meloni had "begged" to take a photo during the G7 summit held in Évian-les-Bains, France, from June 16 to 18, and that he agreed "because he felt sorry for her."
Trump also linked that request to the supposed popularity issues of the prime minister, suggesting that the image alongside him would serve to enhance her image.
Meloni strongly rejected the claim, calling the story "completely fabricated" and declaring herself "frankly astonished": "Neither I nor Italy have ever begged," she responded publicly.
The prime minister also sent a direct message to the U.S. president: “My popularity is not your concern”.
The clash escalated to the diplomatic level when the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, canceled an official visit scheduled to Washington for this Sunday and Monday, which included an agenda with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Tajani described Trump's words as "serious and offensive" and emphasized that "they offend all of Italy."
The backdrop of the conflict is the war that the United States and Israel launched on February 28 against Iran with Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated attack featuring nearly 900 strikes in the first 12 hours that resulted in the death of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Italy—along with France and Spain—has taken a stance of non-direct involvement, refusing to fully surrender its bases to the United States for offensive operations.
Meloni has defended that the use of Italian bases is governed by bilateral agreements that cannot be unilaterally violated, a position that already earned her an initial attack from Trump in April.
The criticisms this Sunday are not limited to Rome: Trump is also targeting NATO as a whole, which he has described as a "paper tiger" and stated that he is "seriously" considering the withdrawal of the United States, although that decision would require Congressional approval.
The cancellation of Tajani's visit to Washington leaves a key meeting between the two governments without a date, as tensions between Rome and the White House reach their highest point since the start of the war.
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