Italy Refutes NATO Chief's Claims on Base Use for Iran Operations

Italy, today, Wednesday, refuted statements attributed to the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Mark Rutte, which indicated that the United States had used American military bases on Italian territory to launch hundreds of aircraft in support of military operations directed against Iran. Rome asserted that it had only authorized technical and logistical flights. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated in a communiqué that Rome's actions were fully consistent with its constitution and the international agreements governing the operation of allied military bases on its territory. Crosetto added that this had been clarified previously in Parliament, where the government permitted only "technical and logistical activities that do not involve direct combat operations," emphasizing that Italy had rejected any requests exceeding these limits. The Italian Defense Minister expressed his astonishment that Rutte, who "has no connection to Operation Epic Rage," had delivered a narrative that conveyed a "completely misleading message" by conflating authorized support flights with operations linked to direct battles. Rutte, in statements to FOX NEWS, had referred to Italy as an example of European support for the United States, mentioning that 500 American aircraft had taken off from US bases in Italy "to support Operation Epic Rage," which was Washington's name for its military campaign. These statements sparked widespread political controversy in Italy, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has repeatedly affirmed that it had not permitted the use of the country's territory as a launchpad for any direct military action against Iran. Furthermore, relations between Meloni and former US President Donald Trump have been strained following a public spat last week concerning Italy's refusal to support the American military campaign against Iran, in addition to sharp criticisms directed by Trump at the Italian Prime Minister. Trump had hinted several times at the "possibility" of withdrawing US forces from Italy and Spain, amid differing stances on a number of issues, most notably the war with Iran. Italy hosts approximately 120 US military facilities, including the Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily and Aviano Air Base in the north of the country. In response to a request for comment, a NATO official stated that Rutte "had only highlighted how allies, including Italy, implement their existing bilateral agreements regarding stationing and air transit."