Recently, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Italy allowed hundreds of US military aircraft to take off from bases within its territory during the US military strikes against Iran. This statement caused political controversy in Italy, and the Italian government immediately denied it, claiming that the claims were completely unfounded.
According to a report by Reuters on June 24, Italian Defense Minister Crostolo issued a statement that accused Rutte of presenting 'completely wrong information', confusing the Italian-authorized support missions with combat-related operations. He emphasized that Italy had authorized only non-aggressive actions in terms of technology and logistics, and refused any requests that went beyond the relevant limitations.
On the 23rd local time, before meeting with U.S. President Trump in Washington, Rütt was interviewed by Fox News. He stated, "One country after another, one ally after another has provided their military bases. This means that approximately 4,000 to 5,000 aircraft are taking off from Europe to support the U.S.'s ‘Epic Fury’ operation."
Lüt said that during the U.S. air strikes on Iran, Italy allowed 500 American aircraft to take off from military bases within its territory. He emphasized that Europe is a platform for the U.S. to deploy its forces.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks in an interview with Fox News Network Video screenshot
Italian Prime Minister Meloni had previously stated that only logistical and technical flight missions subject to Italian-American bilateral agreements could utilize air bases within Italy. Therefore, Rutte’s remarks quickly sparked political controversy in Italy, with opposition parties questioning the Meloni government for “covering up the truth”.
Former Italian Prime Minister and leader of the Five Star Movement, Giuseppe Conte, said that Meloni needs to explain this matter to the Italian Parliament. Nicola Zingaretti, the leader of the Italian Green Party and the Left Alliance coalition, pointed out that 'either the government is deceiving the parliamentarians, or Letta is talking nonsense.'
Facing doubts from various parties, Italian Defense Minister Crostolo issued a statement on the 24th to refute Rüttgers' remarks. He emphasized that the Italian government complies with constitutional laws, international treaties, and bilateral agreements. “As has been stated in parliament, the government has authorized only non-aggressive technical and logistical operations, and has rejected requests that go beyond these limits.”
Crosetto criticized that Lütke had no connection with the US military operations, yet he released "information that completely contradicted the facts," confusing the authorized support flights in Italy with combat-related operations.
Reuters reported that there are approximately 120 American military facilities in Italy, including the Aviano Air Base in northern Italy and the Sigonella Naval Air Base on Sicily.
In response to the Italian government's objections, a NATO official argued that Rütt’s statement was merely meant to “emphasize how allies including Italy comply with existing bilateral agreements regarding the use of bases and transit flights.”
In March of this year, Italian media such as the Evening Post reported that several American military aircraft were planned to land at the Sigo Marina base in Italy, and then fly to the Middle East. At that time, the Italian military rejected the American request, stating that the related flight plans did not fall under routine missions or logistics transport tasks, and therefore did not fall within the scope of the bilateral agreement between Italy and the United States.
Trump has repeatedly criticized European countries like Italy, accusing them of not supporting the United States in its actions regarding Iran. In an interview with NBC on the 19th, Trump said, "Meloni is my loyal fan, but I don't want her to be one of my fans, because she did not participate in matters related to the Strait of Hormuz alongside the NATO group."
Additionally, Trump said last week that during the G7 summit, Meroni insisted on taking a photo with him, and he had to agree reluctantly. Trump said, "She begged me to take a photo with her! She really wanted to have a picture with me. I didn’t want to take one, but I felt sorry for her."
This statement caused dissatisfaction among the Italians. Meloni said on the 19th: “There are some issues that require immediate response. Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. To be honest, I am shocked. I don’t understand why the President of the United States treats his allies in this way—it’s not the first time this has happened. I can only say that it is regrettable that he doesn’t show the same determination towards his enemies in the West, towards America.”
Italian Foreign Minister Taviani subsequently canceled his visit to the United States scheduled for June 21st and 22nd. He stated that Trump's remarks were of serious nature, and 'offended entire Italy'.
