Trump says Meloni 'wants to be friends again' after Italy refused to help US amid Iran war
President Donald Trump said Giorgia Meloni did not let the U.S. use Italy's landing strips in its war against Iran and rejected being friends with her.

“I expect that I will leave sometime the next couple of days” to join US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in Switzerland for talks with Iran, Vice President JD Vance says in an interview with Fox News.
President Donald Trump said Giorgia Meloni did not let the U.S. use Italy's landing strips in its war against Iran and rejected being friends with her.
Just hours after the Strait of Hormuz was closed again as the tentative peace deal between Washington and Tehran crumbles, President Donald Trump asked his followers Saturday to weigh in on what he called a “very important matter”: whether he should insult Democrats with the nickname “Dumocrats” or “Dumbocrats.”“POLL: Which do you prefer, Dumocrat or Dumbocrat?” Trump asked his followers on his social media platform Truth Social. “In one case, you simply exchange the ‘e’ for ‘u,’ so simple and precise (Many people don’t know, or assume, that DUMB ends in ‘b’). In the other case, you spell out DUMB, but it seems to lose some of the identity to Democrats when done this way. Which is better?”Trump’s social media post also included a poll where users could select their preference for how the president should insult Democrats, along with a “thank you” from Trump for helping him address the “very important matter.” As of 9:15 a.m. ET, Trump's followers preferred the name "Dumocrat" by 66%.Iranian military officials announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed again Saturday morning citing a violation of the first clause of the 14-point memorandum of understanding agreed to by Washington and Tehran. Within the first clause is a provision that requires Israel to halt its military operations in Lebanon, which to date it’s refused to do.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced Saturday morning that it closed the Strait of Hormuz over fighting in Lebanon, while Iran’s foreign ministry’s diplomatic team embarked for Switzerland for peace talks. Fighting in Lebanon erupted on Saturday for the second day in a row, despite both sides agreeing to the ceasefire. After a day of […]
Now fighting is over, the question is how Iran's government will behave. Early clues point to more authoritarianism and prioritising relations with China
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps warned it was closing the Strait of Hormuz Saturday, even as Vice President Vance said there was no evidence that it had been shutdown.
The Iranian armed forces announced Saturday they will close the Strait of Hormuz — just three days after it reopened — alleging America's failure to rein in Israeli attacks on Lebanon violates the new ceasefire deal. Why it matters: This is the first big crisis between the U.S. and Iran since signing a memorandum of understanding to end the war earlier this week. It takes place as President Trump's envoys are already in Switzerland ahead of a potential first round of nuclear negotiations planned for Sunday. The Iranian delegation headed by speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in Switzerland on Saturday.State of play: A senior U.S. defense official said the U.S. military is still not seeing any Iranian military movements on the ground that reflect a potential "closing" of the strait. "Safe passage through the international waterway remained intact today as 55 merchant ships transited, moving large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets," U.S. CENTCOM said Saturday.What they're saying: Shortly before Araghchi announced he is traveling to Switzerland, the Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters of the Iranian armed forces announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz."In light of the United States' clear bad faith and breach of its commitment to implement the first clause of the memorandum of understanding for ending the war, and in response to the continuous and ongoing violations of the ceasefire by the Zionist regime in southern Lebanon, it is hereby announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to maritime traffic."The Iranian military said this is "the first step" in responding to alleged violations of the ceasefire. "Should the aggression continue, further measures have been planned and will be implemented to compel the enemy to abide by and carry out its obligations."Shortly after that, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps navy said the strait "is closed to all vessels" and warned ships not to approach.
Political strategist and commentator Keith Edwards claimed Friday that he was paid a visit by the FBI over comments he made online – more specifically, comments about President Donald Trump’s botched $14 million restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has been plagued with algae and peeling paint just days after completion.On Friday morning, Edwards issued a plea on social media: he offered to pay anyone willing to send him a piece of the “‘American flag blue’ paint peeling off the reflecting pool,” insisting he “must have it and frame it.” He also offered to pay $86.47, a reference to the term the Justice Department cited in its criminal indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, which some conservatives have interpreted as a threat to Trump's life.Just hours later, Edwards took to social media again to provide his more than 175,000 followers on X an update.“The FBI just showed up at my door because I tweeted about people picking up paint debris and sending it to me,” Edwards wrote Friday evening. “I asked them where's Savannah Guthrie's mom.”Trump’s FBI has been reported to have visited the homes of other critics of the administration, including participants in the No Kings protests. The FBI has also visited Americans’ homes over social media posts critical of Israel’s ongoing siege on Gaza, which countless human rights groups and a United Nations committee have labeled a genocide.Edwards has amassed nearly 1.3 million subscribers on his political commentary YouTube channel and previously worked on Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 presidential campaign.The FBI just showed up at my door because I tweeted about people picking up paint debris and sending it to me.I asked them where's Savannah Guthrie's mom https://t.co/SejMe7W0UH— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) June 19, 2026
Iran said it has closed the Strait of Hormuz for shipping transit due to what it called a violation of the ceasefire by Israel, as continued attacks in southern Lebanon pose a growing setback to prospective peace talks.