Spain announced it will establish border controls on all flights and ships from Italy from midnight Saturday until September 7, retaliating after Rome imposed similar measures following a mass influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into Spain's North African territory of Ceuta.
The seventh round of U.S.-facilitated negotiations between Israel and Lebanon began Tuesday in Rome, focusing on establishing pilot zones for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah disarmament. However, talks ended early on the second day after Israel's ambassador halted negotiations, citing what sources described as Beirut's 'repeated misleading leaks.'
Nicaragua broke diplomatic relations with Italy on Thursday following Rome's renewed demand to extradite Alessio Casimirri, a former Red Brigades militant convicted for his role in the 1978 kidnapping and killing of former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. Nicaragua has provided refuge to Casimirri for decades.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday, urging European allies to take concrete action against Iran and support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while expressing frustration that allies are not backing Washington's confrontational approach.
President Trump has publicly criticized Pope Leo over the pontiff's stance on Iran, accusing him of endangering Catholics, while the Pope denied Trump's claim that he supports nuclear weapons. The dispute comes ahead of Secretary of State Rubio's trip to Rome and marks what Vatican officials describe as an unprecedented low in U.S.-Vatican relations.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in broad daylight in Baghdad, with US officials stating a suspect has ties to Iran-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah. The State Department says it is working to ensure her release as soon as possible.
