* Rubio seeks to ease tensions with Rome, Vatican

* Meloni under pressure over Trump, Iran war

By Crispian Balmer

ROME, May 8 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia

Meloni met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday at a

moment of unusual strain between her government and President

Donald Trump's administration, driven largely by the war with

Iran.

Rubio is in Italy for a two-day trip aimed at easing ties

with Pope Leo after unprecedented attacks on the pontiff by

Trump, while also addressing Washington's frustration over

Italy's refusal to support the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

Meloni had been one of Trump's firmest supporters in Europe,

cultivating close ties with him and presenting herself as a

natural bridge between Washington and other EU states that had

no natural political affinity with the Republican U.S. leader.

But that alignment has come under increasing strain in

recent months, as the Iran war has forced her to balance loyalty

to the United States against Italian public animosity to the war

and the growing economic cost of the conflict.

Before heading to the prime minister's office, Rubio met

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who said the talks had

been positive.

"I am convinced that Europe needs America, Italy needs

America, but the United States also needs Europe and Italy,"

Tajani told reporters.

Meloni and Rubio were expected to discuss the situation in

the Gulf, as well as Russia's war on Ukraine, U.S. tariffs on

European goods and the outlook for Cuba, which Washington is

seeking to isolate both diplomatically and economically.

TRUMP'S ATTACKS ON POPE

The Italians will also be keen for a readout on Rubio's

meetings at the Vatican. Trump's recent attacks on Pope Leo

crossed a sensitive line in overwhelmingly Catholic Italy and

prompted Meloni to call them "unacceptable."

Her criticism in turn drew a sharp rebuke from Trump, who

said she lacked courage and had let Washington down. He

subsequently threatened to withdraw U.S. troops from Italy.

Meloni said on Monday she would not support such a move, but

acknowledged that the decision "doesn't depend on me".

Italy last month refused to allow U.S. aircraft to use the

Sigonella air base in Sicily for combat operations linked to the

Iran conflict. Italian officials have said Washington had not

sought prior authorisation from Rome for the use of the site.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, a close Meloni ally, later

warned that the Iran war was putting U.S. global leadership at

risk and said he feared the "madness" of nuclear escalation.

Pollsters say Meloni's ties to Trump could prove a potential

liability with voters ahead of national elections due next year.