'She's a nice person, but made a mistake': Trump seeks to ease feud with Italy's Meloni over Iran

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday sought to soften tensions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, describing her as a “nice person” despite a recent public feud that has strained relations between the two leaders.

Speaking during a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Trump said his relationship with Meloni had deteriorated over Italy's refusal to support Washington's military campaign against Iran, but insisted he still held a favourable view of the Italian leader.

“I think she’s a nice person, actually, we’ve had a good week. We had a bad relationship. It became a little bad because she refused to help us again,” CNN quoted Trump as saying.

“I think she’s a nice person, actually. But I think she made a mistake,” he added, referring to Italy’s decision not to participate in the conflict with Iran.

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Trump said he had not exerted significant pressure on Meloni to back the US effort, but acknowledged that her refusal had affected ties between them.

Trump-Meloni feud

Trump and Meloni have been embroiled in an increasingly public dispute in recent weeks, with tensions escalating after the US president claimed the Italian leader had “begged” him for a photograph during last month's G7 summit.

The row intensified over the weekend when Trump shared an image on his Truth Social platform carrying the caption “Restraining Order Needed.”

The image showed Trump standing in front of Meloni as she looked up at him smiling, with the caption implying an unusual level of personal interest in the US president.

The dispute traces back to comments Trump made to an Italian journalist in which he alleged that Meloni had sought a photo opportunity with him at the G7 summit in France.

Meloni strongly rejected the claim, saying she was “appalled” by the remarks and criticising Trump for publicly targeting a close ally.

Trump later reiterated his criticism, accusing the Italian prime minister of attempting to revive her political standing by strengthening ties with the US.

The exchange has generated political controversy in Italy, where members of Meloni’s government have condemned Trump's remarks.

According to media reports, Italian officials subsequently cancelled plans to attend US Independence Day celebrations in Rome, with senior government figures accusing Trump of damaging long-standing relations between the US and Italy.

The latest comments suggest Trump is attempting to ease tensions with Meloni even as disagreements over foreign policy and recent personal attacks continue to cast a shadow over ties between the two leaders.

With inputs from agencies