US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up a two-day visit to Rome on Friday, aiming to ease tensions with Pope Leo and calling on European nations to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz.
The task was not easy, given President Donald Trump's recent sharp criticism of both the Catholic leader and Italy's far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of the US leader, News.Az reports, citing RTL Today.
"The world has to start asking itself, what is it willing to do if Iran tries to normalise a control of an international waterway? I think that's unacceptable," he told reporters after meeting Meloni.
The appeal was aimed at Italy as well as other European countries, which Trump criticised for not helping the United States to protect the Strait.
Tehran seized control of the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf, a major transport route for oil, gas and fertiliser, after US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on February 28, triggering the Middle East war.
After saying 5,000 troops will be withdrawan from Germany, Trump has threatened to pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their refusal to get involved in the conflict, and has questioned his country's membership in NATO.
He added, however that the US president had not yet decided how to reprimand these countries.
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