Trump accuses Italy’s Meloni of not having 'courage' to back Iran war

Published on 15/04/2026 - 9:31 GMT+2

US President Donald Trump connected Tuesday launched a stinging disapproval of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, 1 of his main European allies, implicit her unwillingness to articulation the Iran war.

"I'm shocked astatine her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong," helium said successful an interrogation with Italian regular Corriere della Sera.

The interrogation was published the time aft Meloni condemned arsenic "unacceptable" Trump's disapproval of Pope Leo XIV, aft the ultimate pontiff's repeated calls for an extremity to the US involution successful Iran.

"She's unacceptable due to the fact that she doesn't caput that Iran has a atomic limb and would stroke up Italy successful 2 minutes if they had the chance," Trump said successful English.

Meloni, Italy's blimpish person since October 2022, has been 1 of Trump's closest allies successful Europe and often seeks to enactment arsenic a mediator betwixt diverging US and European views.

But the president said they had not spoken this month, "not successful a agelong time," saying: "She doesn't assistance america with NATO."

"She doesn’t privation to assistance get escaped of a nuclear-weaponed Iran. Very sad… She’s overmuch antithetic than I thought."

He described the NATO subject confederation arsenic a "paper tiger", and criticised Europe successful wide for not being "willing to combat for the Hormuz strait, which is wherever they get their energy".

Trump said that Meloni was "not the aforesaid person. Italy is not the aforesaid country. Immigration is sidesplitting Italy and each of Europe."

Meloni's allies and governmental opponents were swift to connection their support.

"We are and stay staunch supporters of Western unity and steadfast allies of the United States, but this unity is built connected communal loyalty, respect, and honesty," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said connected X.

He said that until now, Trump considered Meloni a courageous person, and "he was not mistaken, but she is simply a pistillate who ne'er shies distant from saying what she thinks".

"And connected Pope Leo XIV she said precisely what each of america Italians think. The premier curate and the authorities support and volition ever support lone and solely the interests of Italy," helium said.

Elly Schlein, person of the centre-left Democratic Party, condemned Trump's "serious deficiency of respect".

"Our constitution is wide — Italy repudiates war," she added successful parliament.