ROME May 4, 2026 (Life News Agency) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Monday she would not support any decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from Italy, as transatlantic tensions escalate over the U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Iran.
Meloni made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Yerevan, Armenia. “It is a decision that doesn’t depend on me and one that I personally would not agree with,” she stated, according to Reuters. She stressed Italy’s strong record of fulfilling NATO commitments, even when they did not serve direct national interests. “Italy has always honored its commitments… We have done so particularly within NATO. We have done so even when our direct interests were not at stake. We did so in Afghanistan. We did so in Iraq,” Meloni said.
The comments come after Trump publicly criticized NATO allies for what he called insufficient support in the war against Iran, which began in February 2026. Trump has announced plans to remove 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany and indicated he would “probably” consider similar withdrawals from Italy and Spain after those countries limited U.S. use of their territory for operations. Italy, for instance, denied U.S. aircraft access to the Sigonella air base in Sicily for Middle East missions linked to the Iran conflict.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Rome from May 6-8 for meetings with Meloni and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. The State Department said the talks will focus on “shared security interests and strategic alignment.” Rubio will also meet Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday to discuss the Middle East situation and Western Hemisphere issues, including U.S.-Cuba tensions.
The visit occurs against a backdrop of unprecedented strain between Washington and the Vatican. Pope Leo, the first American pontiff, has sharply criticized the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, and the U.S. blockade of Cuba. Trump responded by attacking the Pope on social media, at one point calling him “terrible.” Meloni has defended the Pope, while her defense minister warned that the Iran war risks undermining U.S. global leadership.
Meloni, once viewed as one of Trump’s closest European allies, is now balancing domestic pressures and Italy’s energy and security concerns in the Gulf region. Her Gulf tour last month—the first by a Western leader since the Iran conflict erupted—highlighted efforts to protect Italian energy supplies amid rising global fuel prices.
The developments underscore broader questions about the future of the U.S. military presence in Europe and NATO burden-sharing, as the Trump administration re-evaluates long-standing alliances amid the ongoing conflict in Iran.
The story is developing. For more updates, follow Life News Agency.
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