US scrambling for European backing as allies abandon Trump’s failing war on Iran

In a clear sign of growing isolation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rushed to Italy in a desperate bid to shore up support for Washington and Tel Aviv’s unpopular war of aggression against Iran, amid rapidly deteriorating relations between the two allies.

Rubio met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday at her official residence in central Rome, following talks with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

The visit comes after weeks of strained ties triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran and US President Donald Trump’s aggressive attacks on Pope Leo XIV for condemning the aggression.

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Before launching its criminal campaign against the Islamic Republic, the Trump administration viewed Meloni as one of its closest European allies.

However, the war — widely rejected across Europe, especially in Italy — has forced Meloni to distance herself from Washington.

Meloni and other European leaders have firmly refused to join the US-Israeli terrorist war on Iran, which has included horrific crimes such as the Minab school massacre that killed 168 children and teachers, the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, and the targeted killing of senior Iranian military and security officials.

The Italian prime minister has openly criticized Trump’s insults against the Pope as “unacceptable.”

In response, Trump — who once repeatedly praised Meloni — lashed out in an interview with an Italian newspaper, claiming he had been “wrong” about her. The sharp rebuke marks a dramatic shift from his earlier admiration.

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During his meetings, Rubio attempted to reframe the discussions around “freedom of navigation and maritime security” and the need to “protect Western economic interests,” while pressing Italy to back Trump’s war efforts.

Yet the conflict has backfired spectacularly. Soaring energy prices across Europe due to the war have further fueled public anger against the US.

Italian polls consistently show overwhelming opposition to any involvement in aggression against Iran.

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Meloni has made her position clear: “We are not at war and we do not want to go to war.”

The US and Israeli regime launched their unprovoked war of aggression against Iran on February 28, triggering widespread international condemnation and exposing deep cracks in the Western alliance.

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