Trump Feuds With Meloni Over Pope and Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly rebuked Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, saying he was “shocked” by her refusal to join American and Israeli military operations against Iran.

“I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” Trump told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “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 that he and Meloni had not spoken “in a long time” and accused Meloni of failing to support NATO efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, again describing the alliance as a “paper tiger.”

Meloni had announced the suspension of Italy’s defense cooperation deal with Israel on Tuesday, citing “the current situation.” (Israel described the instrument as a “memorandum of understanding from ‌many years ⁠ago that has never contained any substantive content.”) 

She had also criticized Trump for his feud with the pope. “I find President Trump’s words toward the Holy Father unacceptable,” she said in a statement on Monday. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal that he calls for peace and condemns every form of war.”