President Donald Trump sharply criticized Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in an interview Tuesday, escalating tensions between the two leaders over remarks about Pope Leo XIV and Europe’s role in the ongoing Iran conflict, The Hill reported.

Speaking to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Trump said he was “shocked” by Meloni’s rebuke of his recent comments directed at the pope.

“Do Italians like the fact that your prime minister isn’t giving us any help to get oil?” Trump said. “Do people like her? I can’t imagine. I’m shocked by her. I thought she was brave, but I was wrong.”Trump’s remarks came a day after Meloni publicly criticized his comments about the pope, calling them “unacceptable” and defending the pontiff’s calls for peace.

“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,” Meloni said in a statement.

Trump fired back in the interview, saying “it’s her who’s unacceptable,” and accusing the Italian leader of failing to take a hard line against Iran.

“Because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if she had the chance,” he said.

Trump also said he has not spoken with Meloni “in a long time,” despite multiple meetings between them last year, including a bilateral session at the White House and a broader gathering of European leaders focused on Ukraine.

Trump extended his criticism to the pope, arguing the religious leader lacks understanding of the Middle East conflict.

“He doesn’t understand and shouldn’t be talking about war, because he has no idea what’s going on,” Trump said.The dispute comes amid broader friction between Washington and European allies over their level of support in the Iran conflict, particularly efforts to secure the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, The Hill reported.

Italy, a founding member of NATO, has not answered Trump’s calls to provide additional assistance. The president has repeatedly pressed European nations to contribute naval resources, including minesweepers, to help safeguard shipping lanes.

Asked what he wants from Italy and other allies, Trump said they could send “whatever they want,” but added that many have been reluctant.

“They don’t want to because NATO is a paper tiger,” Trump said.

Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.