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US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his claim that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni sought a photo op with him to get her\u00a0\u201cnumbers up\u201d<\/em>\u00a0after refusing to support the US in its war with Iran.<\/p>\n The latest exchange follows a dispute sparked by comments Trump made in a phone interview with Italian broadcaster La7 on Friday, in which the US president claimed Meloni\u00a0\u201cbegged\u201d<\/em>\u00a0him for a photo during the G7 summit in Evian, France and suggested he agreed\u00a0\u201cout of pity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Italian prime minister called the account\u00a0\u201ccompletely fabricated,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0but in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump reiterated his claim that Meloni asked\u00a0\u201cover and over\u201d<\/em>\u00a0for a picture with him.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is doing poorly in Italy with her level of popularity, possibly because she turned down the United States of America,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Trump wrote, accusing Rome of causing\u00a0\u201ca great logistical inconvenience\u201d<\/em>\u00a0to Washington.\u00a0\u201cNow, after the United States defeated Iran militarily, she wants to be friends again in order to get her \u2018numbers up.\u2019 No thanks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Meloni replied that\u00a0\u201cbeing your friend has certainly not helped me,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0insisting that her standing at home depends solely on her\u00a0\u201cability to defend Italy\u2019s national interests.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Earlier this year, Italy refused permission for US military aircraft to land at Sigonella airbase in Sicily on their way to the Middle East, arguing that the mission fell outside bilateral agreements. Meloni said the pre-agreed limits on US logistical use of Italian bases\u00a0\u201ccannot be violated\u201d<\/em>\u00a0while she remains prime minister.<\/p>\n \u201cItaly is still a sovereign nation,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Meloni stressed, adding:\u00a0\u201cMy popularity is none of your business. I\u2019d suggest you focus on yours.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The Italian prime minister was long regarded as one of Trump\u2019s closest partners among European leaders and as a bridge between Washington and Brussels. She was the only European head of government to attend his inauguration in 2025.<\/p>\n Relations have deteriorated in recent months, however, amid disagreements over Iran and Meloni\u2019s defense of Pope Leo XIV after Trump criticized the pontiff over his opposition to the conflict.<\/p>\n The public clash came just days after the two leaders appeared to patch up months of disagreements on the sidelines of the G7 summit.<\/p>\n