ROME, June 24 (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Italian government has issued a sharp public rebuke against NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte after he claimed that hundreds of U.S. aircraft launched from American bases in Italy to support military strikes against Iran.
During an interview with Fox News, Mark Rutte cited Italy as an example of European solidarity with Washington. He stated that roughly 500 U.S. military aircraft took off from Italian soil to support Operation Epic Fury, the code name for the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Rutte used this statistic to address U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently criticized European allies for failing to fully support Washington’s war effort. The comments immediately triggered a political crisis in Italy, where Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has consistently maintained that it did not authorize the use of Italian territory for direct military action against Iran.
The Italian Defense Ministry, led by Guido Crosetto, quickly countered the narrative provided by the NATO chief. Officials labeled the remarks a completely misleading message that conflated authorized support flights with combat-related operations.
In a formal statement, the ministry clarified the strict boundaries Italy has placed on the conflict. Rome maintains that it authorized exclusively technical and logistical, non-kinetic flights. These operations are limited to the boundaries of preexisting bilateral treaties governing U.S. installations on Italian soil.
“As already clarified in parliament, the government authorised exclusively technical and logistical, non-kinetic activities,” said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.
Italian officials explicitly stated they denied all requests for direct military action or offensive combat missions originating from their territory. Rome previously blocked U.S. bombers from using key sites, such as the Sigonella Naval Air Station in Sicily, for active combat roles. Crosetto emphasized that Italy acted in full accordance with its constitution and international treaties, turning down any operations that exceeded purely administrative and transit support.
The comments by the NATO Secretary-General ignited a severe political storm within the country. Prime Minister Meloni’s government has frequently reassured the public and lawmakers that Italy would not serve as a launching pad for direct intervention against Iran.
Following the interview, opposition leaders seized on the discrepancy. Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte demanded that the Prime Minister clarify the matter before parliament. Other figures, including Nicola Fratoianni of the Green and Left Alliance, questioned whether the government had misled lawmakers regarding the scope of activity at U.S. bases.
This diplomatic spat deepens an already tense relationship between Meloni and President Donald Trump. Ties between Rome and Washington frayed significantly last week following a public dispute regarding Italy’s refusal to align with the U.S. military strategy in the Middle East. That disagreement was compounded by personal attacks directed at the Italian leader by the U.S. President.
Italy currently hosts approximately 120 U.S. military facilities, including the Aviano air base in northern Italy. While NATO officials stated that the Secretary-General merely highlighted how allies carry out existing bilateral agreements, the Italian government remains firm in its refusal to broaden the scope of its contribution to the ongoing conflict.
