Trump Urges Meloni To Deploy Italian Navy To Join U.S. and Israel War Against Iran

President Donald Trump phoned Corriere della Sera and praised Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni while urging Italy to cooperate with what the article describes as the United States and Israel’s war against Iran, framing Italy’s contributions as part of a broader Western military effort.

“President Donald Trump, in a phone call with Corriere della Sera yesterday afternoon, expressed strong appreciation for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and for Italy's willingness to cooperate in the war in Iran being conducted by the United States and Israel”

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The piece quotes Trump saying, 'Giorgia Meloni always tries to help, she is an excellent leader and she is a friend of mine,' and records his endorsement of deploying Italian naval assets for the defence of Cyprus, noting 'I love Italy, I think she is a great leader.'

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The call is presented as part of sustained high-level coordination between Trump and European allies over military operations tied to Iran.

The article details Italy’s concrete military contributions and situates them within an 'E4' European framework that includes Germany, France and the United Kingdom.

It reports that Italy sent the frigate Martinengo to Cyprus, deployed a SAMP/T anti-missile battery to the Emirates, and provided anti-drone systems to Kuwait and Qatar, all presented as measures to support ongoing operations and protect strategic routes in the eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf.

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The E4 coordination is emphasised as a multilateral European alignment with U.S. and Israeli objectives.

The White House framed European cooperation as expected and necessary, with spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt quoted saying the president 'expects all our European allies to cooperate in this mission, long anticipated not only by the United States but also by Europe, to crush the rogue Iranian regime that threatens America and our European allies.'

“President Donald Trump, in a phone call with Corriere della Sera yesterday afternoon, expressed strong appreciation for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and for Italy's willingness to cooperate in the war in Iran being conducted by the United States and Israel”

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The article also notes Trump’s recent diplomacy with European leaders — including a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — and records his sharp criticism of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, including threats to cut trade over Madrid’s hesitation, quoting Trump: 'Spain has been terrible,' and 'We'll cut all trade with Spain, we don't want to have anything to do with Spain.'

The report places the phone call in a clear timeline and highlights immediate diplomatic effects: it says the call followed the Summit of the Shield of the Americas at Mar-a-Lago and preceded Trump’s trip to Dover for a ceremony for six U.S. service members killed in the Middle East.

The article links Trump’s high-profile outreach and blunt rhetoric to real policy moves, noting that after Trump’s criticisms Madrid later announced deployment of a frigate to Cyprus, and concluding with an observation that 'Trump has radically changed the way an American president communicates with the media.'

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