Trump turns on Meloni, saying she lacks ‘courage’ over US-Israel war on Iran

United States President Donald Trump has attacked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of his main European allies, over her unwillingness to join the war on Iran.

“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” he said in an interview with Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Tuesday.

The interview was published the day after Meloni condemned as “unacceptable” Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, following the pontiff’s repeated calls for an end to the war in the Middle East.

“She’s unacceptable because she doesn’t mind that Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if they had the chance,” Trump said in English.

Meloni, Italy’s leader since October 2022, used to be one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe and often sought to act as a mediator between diverging US and European views.

But the president said they had not spoken this month, “not in a long time”, saying: “She doesn’t help us with NATO.

“She doesn’t want to help get rid of a nuclear-weaponed Iran. Very sad … She’s much different than I thought,” Trump added.

He described the NATO military alliance as a “paper tiger” and criticised Europe, in general, for not being “willing to fight for the Hormuz Strait, which is where they get their energy”.

Trump said Meloni was “not the same person. Italy is not the same country. Immigration is killing Italy and all of Europe.”

Local support for Meloni

The Italian prime minister’s allies and political opponents were swift to offer their support.

“We are and remain staunch supporters of Western unity and steadfast allies of the United States, but this unity is built on mutual loyalty, respect, and honesty,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X.

He said that until now, Trump considered Meloni a courageous person, and “he was not mistaken, but she is a woman who never shies away from saying what she thinks.”

Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, condemned Trump’s “serious lack of respect”.

“Our constitution is clear – Italy repudiates war,” she added in parliament.

Separately on Tuesday, Italy suspended a defence agreement with Israel that involves the exchange of military equipment and technology research.

“In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel,” Meloni said, according to Italian media.

Tensions between Italy and Israel have been high after the Italian government accused Israeli forces of firing warning shots at a convoy of Italian peacekeepers in Lebanon last week.