US President Donald Trump on Tuesday described Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as a “good person” but criticized her for refusing to support the United States during its conflict with Iran, marking the latest escalation in a diplomatic rift that has strained relations between the two leaders.“She refused to get involved, so my relationship with her soured a little bit. But I like her. I think she’s a really good person. But I think she made a mistake,” Trump told reporters in Turkey.The dispute dates back to March, when Italy refused to allow US military planes bound for the Middle East to land at Sicily’s Sigonella airport, saying Washington had failed to get prior permission from the government in Rome.Relations with Meloni, once considered one of Trump’s closest European allies, deteriorated further last month when Trump told Italian television channel La7 that he had “begged” her for a photo during the G7 summit in France. The Italian Prime Minister rejected the claim, accusing the US President of fabricating the story.He has also publicly criticized Trump this year for attacking Pope Leo after the pontiff condemned the Iran war. In response, Trump rebuked the Italian leader for refusing to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea route that was effectively blocked by Iran following the US-Israeli attacks.Trump’s latest comments came when he was asked about a Truth Social post he shared over the weekend that featured a photo of Meloni looking at him and the caption, “Control order needed.” The post has reignited tensions ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara, where the two leaders are expected to meet.The Italian government declined to respond publicly to Trump’s latest comments, with ministers indicating they did not want to further escalate tensions and risk damaging bilateral relations.“Trump speaks for himself. We have an American president who loves to provoke, especially on social media. We have decided to stop reacting to these comments,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told La Stampa on Tuesday.Meloni’s office also declined to comment on how she would approach her meeting with Trump in Ankara. However, a source close to the prime minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, rejected suggestions that she might ignore the US leader, saying she knew how to handle such situations and would likely welcome him “with a smile”.(With Reuters inputs)