Trump Responds to Italian PM's Criticism After She Refuses to Join War Against Iran

US President Donald Trump has launched a criticism against Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. This criticism was directed after his main ally in Europe refused to join the war against Iran. “I am surprised by her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” Trump said in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (14/4/2026). The interview was published a day after Meloni condemned Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, which she described as “unacceptable”. It is known that Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly called for an end to the war in the Middle East. Trump told Corriere that it was Meloni who was “unacceptable”. Trump accused Meloni of not caring if Iran possesses nuclear weapons. Trump stated that Meloni does not want Italy to be involved in the war against Iran, even though Italy obtains most of its oil from that region. For information, Meloni, the right-wing leader of Italy since October 2022, has been one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe and has often sought to act as a mediator between US and European views.