U.S. President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday, accusing Rome of withholding support during Washington's military operation involving Iran. Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump claimed Italy refused to assist with efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz and said Meloni had "made a mistake." He also criticised Germany, France, and the UK for similar refusals, while praising Erdogan for Turkey's constructive role.
Trump escalated the dispute by posting a photo of himself and Meloni on Truth Social captioned "Restraining order needed". He expressed deep disappointment with NATO more broadly.
Italy declined to engage further. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome would not respond to such statements. A source close to Meloni ruled out any snub, saying she would greet Trump "with a smile" at the summit. Italy had earlier denied U.S. aircraft landing rights at the Sigonella base in Sicily.