Rubio presses Europe on Iran action as he seeks to mend ties with Italy and Vatican

Marco Rubio landed in Rome Friday pressing European allies to move past "strongly worded statements" on Iran and deliver real action to stop Tehran from controlling the Strait of Hormuz. The secretary of state warned that Iran's attempt to normalize dominance over the waterway sets a dangerous precedent, while revealing the U.S. had already thwarted attacks on three Navy ships there.

"Everybody says Iran is a threat. Everybody says that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon … but you’ve got to do something about it," Rubio told reporters after talks with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. He drew a blunt red line: "They threaten Americans, they are going to be blown up." Washington is pushing a U.N. Security Council resolution on freedom of navigation and awaiting Iran's response to diplomatic overtures.

The meetings were framed as fence-mending after weeks of friction over the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, Trump's public jabs at Meloni, and his criticism of Pope Leo XIV. Meloni called the session "constructive, frank and productive" but stressed that while the trans-Atlantic relationship matters, "each country must defend its own national interests." Tajani struck a warmer note, insisting "Europe needs America—Italy needs America—and the United States also needs Europe and Italy," and hoped tensions had been calmed.

Yet the gaps remain stark. Italy opposed the bombing, with Meloni labeling it "illegal." Rome has refused to let U.S. bombers use a Sicilian base without parliamentary approval, citing constitutional limits and domestic opposition. Tajani offered Italian naval forces only for demining the strait once a permanent ceasefire is in place, while maintaining Italy's U.N. peacekeeping role in Lebanon. The U.S. has already announced pulling 5,000 troops from Germany, and Trump has threatened further withdrawals from Italy and Spain.

Economic worries compound the strain. Meloni highlighted how Hormuz disruptions could spike energy costs and inflation in Italy's export-driven economy, even as U.S. tariff threats loom. Rubio also met Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to smooth over Trump's broadsides against the pope's peace appeals. He reaffirmed a "productive and fruitful" U.S.-Church relationship while blaming Cuba's "incompetent" government for blocking $100 million in additional American humanitarian aid routed through Caritas; Washington has already sent about $6 million.

Rubio left the NATO troop question open, saying "no final decision" has been made and any changes would hinge on U.S. interests. Italy, a vital Mediterranean logistics hub, has signaled it will not automatically extend cooperation on offensive operations. The episode exposes a trans-Atlantic alliance that talks alliance but delivers caveats, especially when American lives and global shipping lanes are on the line.

Will Meloni's parliamentary veto and post-ceasefire demining pledge satisfy Washington, or has the Iran war already redrawn the limits of Italian support?

Original reporting: Japan Today.