By Claudia Cristoferi
Rome — Italy is planning to send air defence aid to Gulf countries in response to Iranian air strikes, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, underscoring Rome’s concern for the safety of its citizens and troops in the region as well as for energy security.
“Like the UK, France and Germany, Italy intends to send assistance to Gulf countries, specifically in the field of defence and in particular air defence,” Meloni told radio station RTL 102.5 on Thursday.
She said the move is driven not only by diplomatic ties but by the presence of Italians on the ground. Tens of thousands of Italian nationals live in the Gulf, while about 2,000 Italian troops are deployed there, she said.
“These are people we want to, and must, protect,” Meloni added, noting that the Gulf region is also vital for Italy’s and Europe’s energy supplies.
‘We are not at war’
Meloni also addressed questions about the possible use of US military bases on Italian soil, saying Italy and its allies are respecting the terms of existing bilateral agreements.
“This means that what is laid down in the agreements is not being called into question, and I think that applies to everyone. The same applies to us,” Meloni said.
Italy hosts military bases used by the US under agreements dating back to 1954, which have been updated over time. Under those accords, Meloni said, technical authorisations are in place for logistics and so-called non-kinetic operations, which she described as non-bombing activities.
If requests were made for a broader use of Italian bases, Meloni said the government would have the authority to decide whether to grant them, but that such a decision would involve parliament.
“As of today, however, we have received no such requests,” she said. “We are not at war and we do not want to enter a war.”
Italian criticism
Meanwhile, Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday that the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which sparked the latest Middle East crisis, are clearly in breach of international law.
It was the strongest criticism to date from Italy’s right-wing administration, which has sought to establish close ties with US President Donald Trump since he took office last year.
The decision to launch the strikes last weekend, “of course fell outside, needless to say, the rules of international law”, Crosetto told the lower house of parliament.
He said Italy is being forced to respond to a conflict that the US and Israel have initiated without warning their allies and partners.
“It is a war that was started without anyone in the world knowing. One in which we, like the rest of the world, find ourselves having to manage [the consequences],” said Crosetto, who is a member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party.
