Italy Severs Alliance With Trump Over the Iran Conflict
Rome, Friday, 17 April 2026.
Driven by soaring energy costs and papal disputes, Italy severed its alliance with Trump over the Iran war, notably suspending a key bilateral defense agreement with Israel.
Economic Realities and Energy Pressures
The fracturing of the relationship between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump, cultivated since 2022 [1], is deeply rooted in macroeconomic pressures. The ongoing war in Iran has severely disrupted global energy markets, particularly following the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted attacks on Qatar’s gas refining infrastructure [1]. Prior to the outbreak of hostilities, Italy relied on Qatar for approximately 10 percent of its natural gas imports [1]. The subsequent supply chain disruption has sent electricity and fuel prices soaring across the Italian peninsula [1].
The Papal Breaking Point
While economic friction laid the groundwork for the diplomatic split, Trump’s unprecedented public feud with Pope Leo XIV provided the immediate catalyst [1][4]. The U.S. President has consistently framed the Iranian conflict as a necessary measure to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, dismissing the Pope’s calls for peace by suggesting the pontiff is naive about global geopolitics [3]. In recent remarks, Trump insisted that “the pope has to understand that this is the