Rubio set to meet Italy’s Meloni as both sides seek to ease frictions over Iran warBy GIADA ZAMPANOAssociated PressThe Associated PressROMEU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni to ease tensions over the war with Iran. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his criticism of Europe’s stance on the conflict have strained relations. Rubio’s trip began Thursday with a meeting with Pope Leo XIV. Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani aim to maintain Italy\u2019s strategic partnership with the U.S. while resisting pressure over the Iran conflict. Italy opposes the war and has declined to allow U.S. bombers to land without parliamentary approval.<\/p>\n
ROME (AP) \u2014 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is opening his second day of fence-mending meetings Friday with talks scheduled with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in a bid to ease tensions over the war with Iran. <\/a><\/p>\n President Donald Trump’s tariffs, his complaints about Europe’s unwillingness to help the U.S. with the war and his attacks against Pope Leo XIV<\/a> have fueled weeks of sharp disagreements over trade and defense cooperation between the two traditionally strong allies.<\/p>\n Rubio will also meet Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. <\/p>\n The trip began Thursday with Rubio meeting Leo as part his broader effort to defuse trans-Atlantic tensions. Meloni and Tajani are expected to use the meetings to try to preserve Italy\u2019s strategic partnership with the U.S. while pushing back against Washington’s pressure over the Iran conflict. <\/a><\/p>\n Trump has criticized both the pope and Italy\u2019s government for opposing the war. Meloni has called the conflict \u201cillegal\u201d and rebuked Trump\u2019s remarks about the pontiff as \u201cunacceptable.\u201d <\/p>\n Trump responded by accusing Meloni of lacking courage and being \u201cnegative\u201d on helping the U.S. with the war. Meloni had long been seen as one of Trump’s top allies in Europe, but Trump has openly said their relationship has cooled.<\/p>\n Italy remains firmly opposed to Iran war<\/p>\n The U.S. has announced a decision to pull 5,000 military personnel from Germany<\/a> and Trump has threatened to withdraw more troops from Italy and Spain over their stance on the war. <\/p>\n Italy, a key logistics hub for U.S. and allied operations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, could see its role affected if troop levels are reduced, raising concerns about NATO\u2019s posture in southern Europe. <\/p>\n Defense cooperation was already tested in late March, when Italy declined to allow U.S. bombers bound for the Middle East to land at Sigonella base in Sicily without parliamentary approval. <\/p>\n Italy’s Constitution and treaties lay out the precise ways in which the bases can be used: They allow logistics and training operations within a NATO framework, but generally exclude direct offensive operations, such as bombing, unless specifically authorized.<\/p>\n Meloni and Tajani have repeatedly said Italy doesn’t want to participate in the Iran conflict, and that if the U.S. seeks permission to use Italian bases for offensive purposes, any decision must be approved by Parliament, where opposition to the war is strong.<\/p>\n At stake for Rome are both its security partnership with Washington and the economic impact of the war. Meloni has warned the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is driving up energy costs and squeezing household purchasing power, while potential U.S. tariff threats have raised concerns for Italy\u2019s export-driven economy.<\/p>\n