Italian PM Meloni’s baffling betrayal leaves her US allies in a lurch
The neighbors are watching.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has now joined a growing chorus of European leaders criticizing President Donald Trump’s recent strikes on Iran, marking a pretty significant shift from her usual unwavering support for the United States. According to Politico, Meloni, a prominent right-wing leader, delivered her strongest rebuke yet of the ongoing conflict in remarks to the parliament in Rome this past Wednesday.
She described the military campaign unfolding in the Middle East as part of a troubling trend of interventions happening “outside the scope of international law,” even while acknowledging the security threat Tehran poses to the region. This move by Meloni is a big deal, especially since she’s built a reputation as one of Europe’s most reliable allies for the U.S.
Her new, more critical stance aligns her closely with other major European counterparts like Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stands out as a notable exception in this growing wave of disapproval. This European backlash isn’t just about politics; the war is also pushing up oil prices.
Is right-wing Meloni merely playing to the gallery?
In fact, Sánchez has been the most direct, openly challenging Trump over the war and labeling it unjustified, dangerous, and illegal. Trump, in response, slammed the Spanish government as “terrible” and “unfriendly”, even threatening to cut all trade with the EU’s fourth-biggest economy.
Other leaders have echoed similar sentiments, with Dutch PM Jetten stating on Friday that the strikes were “outside the framework of international law.” French President Macron had also said last week that Paris “cannot approve of them.” Meloni’s shift in tone isn’t just about international solidarity; it’s also a reflection of some serious domestic pressures back home.
The airstrikes on Iran have proven deeply unpopular in Italy. Public opinion there is overwhelmingly hostile to the idea of being pulled into another Middle East conflict. With her government facing a politically sensitive referendum on judicial reforms, which has increasingly become a kind of vote of confidence for her coalition, she is in a tricky spot. She needs to maintain her transatlantic alliances but also respond to what her own citizens are feeling.
It seems Meloni is carefully, yet clearly, repositioning herself towards restraint. During her remarks, she condemned the bombing of a girls’ school that tragically killed 168 people, calling it a “massacre” and demanding a swift investigation into who was responsible. Several reports suggest the school was likely hit by a U.S. strike targeting a nearby Iranian naval base.
Meloni also drew comparisons between her stance on joint US-Italian bases and Sánchez’s position. The question of whether US forces could use joint bases in Italy to support strikes on Iran has become a particularly sensitive issue domestically. Meloni has firmly stated that these bases are only being used for logistical and technical purposes under agreements signed in the 1950s, not for launching military strikes.
Using Italian air bases for such actions would require explicit authorization from parliament. She found it interesting how her and Sánchez’s positions, which are essentially the same regarding not using bases for launching strikes on Iran, are being perceived so differently. “It amazes me that the same people condemn this decision in our nation and praise it in Spain,” she remarked, highlighting the double standard she sees from her political opposition.
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