The ongoing US and Israeli military campaign against Iran has fractured one of Washington’s closest European alliances. US President Donald Trump delivered a stinging public rebuke of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He condemned her refusal to provide military assistance to break the Iranian blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
The diplomatic rift exposes deep divisions within NATO. Italy officially suspended the automatic renewal of its 2006 defense treaty with Israel. Trump expressed disbelief at Meloni’s stance during an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
“I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” Trump said. The dispute rapidly escalated after Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV. The pontiff recently called to end the Middle East war. Trump insulted the Pope. Meloni called Trump’s comments unacceptable. Trump fired back directly in the interview. “She is the one who is unacceptable, because she does not care whether Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow Italy up in two minutes if it had the chance.”
Tensions are peaking across the region. A missing US aviator recently triggered a frantic search as the military standoff intensifies. Iran’s blockade currently chokes off 20% of the world’s oil supply. Italy is paying some of the highest energy prices globally. Yet domestic opposition to the war remains fierce. Recent polling shows 66% of Italians view Trump negatively. Meloni faces massive pressure to stay out of the conflict.
The fallout is immediate. Trump noted they have not spoken in a long time. He said she is very different from what he thought, according to a report by The Guardian. This marks a stark contrast to last month. Trump recently hailed her as a great leader. She was the only European leader to attend his 2025 inauguration, Euractiv detailed in its coverage. Meloni explicitly refused to allow US jets to use the Italian airbase at Sigonella in Sicily.
Why Meloni’s Pivot Alters NATO’s Middle East Strategy
The sudden collapse of this alliance forces a paradigm shift for US foreign policy. Meloni’s refusal to grant access to the Sigonella airbase severely limits Washington’s logistical reach into the Mediterranean. Her political rivals are unexpectedly uniting. Center-left Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani both rushed to defend Meloni. They condemned Trump’s comments as an attack on Italy’s sovereignty. This bipartisan Italian defense signals that key European nations are increasingly willing to isolate the US rather than enter an escalating regional war.