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Italy denies any military role in US-Israeli aggression against Iran
Italy’s top diplomat rejected remarks by NATO chief about Washington’s use of his country’s military bases during the recent war on Iran, stressing that no Italian military bases had been used for attacks on Iran and that no such use would be permitted in the future.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani made the remarks during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Thursday.
Speaking to Fox News television on Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cited Italy as an example of European support for the US and said 500 US planes had taken off from US bases in Italy “to support Epic Fury”, Washington’s name for the war it launched alongside Israel on Iran on February 28.
Tajani emphasized that US aircraft involved in bombing operations against Iran did not take off from Italian territory and that the Italian government had never authorized any military action against Iran.
Araghchi welcomed the phone call and the clarification from his Italian counterpart, but stressed that the matter required an explicit and official denial from the Italian government.
“The Italian government must officially deny that its territory was used against Iran,” Araghchi stressed, underscoring the importance of removing any ambiguity surrounding Italy’s position.
The comments by the NATO chief also caused a political row in the European country, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has repeatedly said it did not authorize the use of Italian territory for direct military action against Iran.
In a statement, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy had acted in full compliance with its constitution, international treaties and agreements governing allied bases on its soil.
“As already clarified in parliament, the government authorized exclusively technical and logistical, non-kinetic activities,” the minister said, adding that Italy had refused requests that fell outside those limits.
Crosetto expressed surprise that Rutte, who “has nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury”, had given an account that conveyed a “totally misleading message” by confusing authorized support flights with combat-related operations.
Opposition leaders in Italy seized on Rutte’s comments, demanding fresh explanations from the government.
Five Star Movement leader and former prime minister Giuseppe Conte said Meloni should clarify the matter in parliament, while Nicola Fratoianni of the Green and Left Alliance said either the government had misled lawmakers or Rutte “has suffered a heatstroke”.
Italy hosts about 120 US military facilities including the Sigonella naval air station in Sicily and the Aviano air base in northern Italy.