Iran, Rutte: 500 US flights have departed from Italy. Crosetto: A misleading message; I am ready to report on this

Rome – There is a storm of controversy surrounding US flights that departed from Italian bases bound for Iran as part of Operation “Epic Fury”. Interviewed by Fox News, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte speaks of the support that European members of the Atlantic Alliance have provided to US-led military operations, citing Italy as an example: “500 US aircraft took off from American bases in Italy to support the operation. This is an enormous contribution,” he says, though his remarks have caused a stir in Rome. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Defence Minister, Guido Crosetto, stated in Parliament that they had only provided logistical support for technical flights, not for combat missions—that is, those tasked with bombing the country. 

At first, Rutte’s words left room for other interpretations, which sparked the opposition’s anger. The Ministry of Defence responded on behalf of the government, clarifying that all the authorised activities fell “within the scope of the procedures set out in existing agreements” and that on the occasions when a request was made that fell outside this scope, “Italy did not grant authorisation.” “It is surprising that the NATO Secretary-General, who has nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury, should present an account that conveys a wholly misleading message by confusing the types of authorised flights,” comments the ministry, reiterating that “Italy authorises only those flights provided for by the treaties, which completely exclude kinetic activities,” acting “in full compliance with the Constitution, international treaties, parliamentary guidelines, and the agreements governing the presence and use of allied bases on national territory.” 

This is not enough for the opposition, who are calling for Meloni to appear in the Chamber to personally clarify the facts. “This is a very serious mix-up, and the government has a duty to clarify the matter immediately. We demand that Giorgia Meloni come to the Chamber as a matter of urgency to report on this denial, which would place Italy in the position of having supported a blatantly illegal war while lying to the Italian people,” declare the M5S group leaders in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Luca Pirondini and Riccardo Ricciardi. “Either Rutte is a liar or Giorgia Meloni has lied to Parliament and the nation. At this point, the Prime Minister urgently needs to provide clarity,” echo the PD parliamentary group leaders Francesco Boccia and Chiara Braga, and the head of the PD delegation in Brussels, Nicola Zingaretti. Angelo Bonelli has tabled a parliamentary question calling on the government to provide Parliament with a list of the 500 US military aircraft that have taken off from Italian bases: “I ask the government to specify the dates, types of aircraft, and their respective functions,” writes the AVS MP, insinuating that the row between Donald Trump and the Italian Prime Minister was “a sensational charade to cover up the Italian government’s support for the war in Iran.” 

Bonelli’s account is “without foundation”, clarifies the Ministry of Defence, which refers to a subsequent clarification from NATO. The Secretary-General “emphasised that the Allies, including Italy, have complied with their existing bilateral agreements regarding bases and overflights. The type of support he was referring to relates to logistics or technical support,” explains spokesperson Allison Hart. Crosetto himself says he is willing to provide a briefing: “I have no problem with this, just as I have no problem authorising someone from the Ministry of Defence to report, flight by flight, on the flights that have been authorised, at the venue deemed appropriate,” he states, pointing out that this concerns the technical management of agreements “which are handled by the Ministry of Defence’s technical departments and not by political decisions that vary.” 

The US Ambassador to Italy, Tilman J. Fertitta, who will be hosting several ministers at Villa Taverna to mark the 4 July celebrations and who received praise from Meloni in the Chamber just a few days ago, defends the government’s position. “I can confirm that we have had a bilateral agreement with Italy for decades, under which we support one another, and I have always seen both sides honour their commitments,” the diplomat assured in an interview with Skytg24, describing the Prime Minister’s work as “excellent.”