Rome says US flights from Italy in Iran war were non-kinetic support
Italy sought to distance itself from the US war against Iran, saying American aircraft used bases on Italian soil only for “technical and logistical, non-kinetic” support and not for direct combat operations.
The clarification came after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Fox News that 500 US planes had taken off from American bases in Italy to support Operation Epic Fury, Washington’s name for the war it launched alongside Israel against Iran.
Rome has repeatedly said it did not authorize Italian territory to be used for direct military action against Iran, a distinction that has become politically sensitive as European governments face questions over how far they helped the US campaign.
“As already clarified in parliament, the government authorized exclusively technical and logistical, non-kinetic activities,” Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said, adding that Italy had refused requests that went beyond those limits.
Crosetto said Rutte, who he said had “nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury,” had sent a “totally misleading message” by blurring the line between authorized support flights and combat-related operations.
A NATO official said Rutte had only referred to allies, including Italy, carrying out existing bilateral agreements on basing and overflights.
The dispute adds to tension between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government and President Donald Trump after Rome refused to support the US military campaign against Iran. Italy hosts about 120 US military facilities, including the Sigonella naval air station in Sicily and Aviano air base in northern Italy.
Opposition leaders demanded new explanations from the government, with former prime minister Giuseppe Conte calling for Meloni to clarify the matter in parliament.
