Italy US
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves as he boards a US government aircraft after concluding his two-day visit to Italy and the Vatican, at Ciampino airport in Rome, Friday, May 8, 2026.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged European allies to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action against Iran, even as he sought to repair strained ties with Italy and the Vatican. Speaking Friday after meetings with Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Rubio warned that Tehran was attempting to assert control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, calling the move “unacceptable” and a threat to global security. Rubio’s visit comes after weeks of sharp disagreements between Washington and Rome over the Iran war, tariffs and U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of both Meloni and Pope Leo XIV.
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