U.S. President Donald Trump warned that a nuclear-armed Iran could pose a direct threat to Italy, saying the country could be “blown up” within two minutes if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon.
Trump made the remark while discussing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her position on the conflict involving Iran.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera in April 2026, Trump criticized Meloni after she had condemned his remarks about Pope Leo XIV.
Trump said Meloni was “unacceptable” because, in his view, she did not appear concerned enough about Iran potentially obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“She’s unacceptable because she doesn’t mind that Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if they had the chance,” Trump said.
Trump also accused Meloni of not wanting to help the United States in its efforts against Iran and said he was surprised by her position.
“I’m shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong,” Trump said during the interview.
The comments came as tensions between Washington and Rome were growing over the conflict with Iran.
Meloni had criticized Trump’s attack on Pope Leo XIV, calling his comments “unacceptable.” Her government had also taken a more cautious position toward the conflict than Washington.
Trump’s nuclear warning has since been widely circulated on social media, alongside a purported response from Meloni claiming that nine countries possess nuclear weapons and that only the United States has used them.
However, the viral post combines Trump’s genuine statement with a misleading presentation of Meloni’s remarks.
Fact-checkers found that Meloni did not make the viral statement about the United States being the only country to have used nuclear weapons. There is no credible evidence that she made that remark in response to Trump.
The video associated with the claim was also misleadingly presented. AFP found that the footage showed Meloni speaking about Pope Leo XIV and the war in the Middle East, rather than delivering the alleged nuclear response attributed to her.
The distinction is important because Trump’s original comments were genuine, while the widely shared Meloni quote was not.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon. In remarks to reporters on April 16, he said Iran could not have a nuclear weapon and warned that every country, including Italy, would face danger if Iran obtained one.
The dispute also highlighted the changing relationship between Trump and Meloni. The Italian prime minister had previously been viewed as one of Trump’s closest European allies, but disagreements over Iran and Trump’s criticism of the pope created a public rift between the two leaders.
Trump’s “two minutes” warning therefore stands on its own as a real statement from the U.S. president. The separate claim that Meloni responded by pointing out the United States’ history of nuclear weapons use, however, is not supported by the available evidence.
