Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, concluded a two-day visit to Rome on Friday, where he sought to ease tensions with the Pope and urged Europeans to provide assistance in the Strait of Hormuz.
The task was not necessarily easy given Donald Trump’s recent sharp remarks about both Louis XIV and Italian authorities. However, the government leader, Giorgia Meloni, is a close ally of the American president.
“The world needs to decide what to do about this. Will the world accept that Iran now controls an international waterway?” the Secretary of State said to journalists, criticizing Tehran’s efforts to create a special authority to approve passage through this strategic waterway.
The call was directed at both Italy and other European countries, criticized by Mr. Trump for not assisting the United States in protecting the strait.
“If one of the main reasons for the United States being part of NATO is to deploy forces in Europe that could then be projected into other emergency situations, and that is no longer the case, at least with some NATO members, then there is a problem that needs to be addressed,” Mr. Rubio stated.
He also mentioned that President Trump has not yet made a decision on how to reprimand these countries.
Donald Trump threatened to withdraw American forces from Italy, stating that Rome “has not been helpful” in the war against Iran.
Mr. Rubio met with Giorgia Meloni at the Chigi Palace for a meeting lasting about an hour and a half, after meeting with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani.
Earlier this week, during a visit to Armenia, Ms. Meloni commented on the troop withdrawal plan, saying, “It’s a decision that doesn’t depend on me and that I disagree with.”
The meeting was described as “certainly fruitful, constructive, and frank between two nations,” said the Italian Prime Minister to the press, adding that many topics were discussed including bilateral relations, the Middle East crisis, freedom of navigation, Libya, Lebanon, and Ukraine.
“We both understand how important the transatlantic relationship is, but we also understand how necessary it is for each of us to defend our national interests,” the Italian government leader added.
Marco Rubio, a devout Catholic himself, stated on Friday that he had a “very good meeting” the day before with Pope Louis XIV at the Vatican, about a month after Donald Trump criticized the pontiff’s pacifist stance.
They discussed shared interests such as religious freedom, the threat posed by Iran, and the role of the Catholic Church in delivering American humanitarian aid to Cuba.
“It is important to share our views, provide explanations, and understand where we come from. I found it very positive,” he said, downplaying the American president’s criticisms.
Mr. Rubio’s visit followed scathing remarks by President Trump in mid-April directed at Louis XIV, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
He had called the pope “weak” on crime and “worthless” in foreign policy after Louis XIV made critical comments about the war in the Middle East.
Marco Rubio also met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.
“I informed them about the situation with Iran, expressed our point of view on the importance of this issue, and the danger Iran poses to the world,” he detailed, as the pope stated his opposition to war.
When asked if President Trump would call the American pope, he responded, “I don’t know. Maybe. It could happen.”
Marco Rubio, born to Cuban parents, also expressed being “honored” to have been presented with his Italian genealogical tree on Friday, which reflects his family history ties to the Piedmont region. He pledged to learn Italian and return to the country to deliver a speech in the local language.
