Rome: Italy has reportedly denied the use of its Sigonella base in Sicily to the United States for air assets bound for West Asia.
The denial came from Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto after the country came to know of the flight plan of some US aircraft, which involved landing at Sigonella before heading to West Asia. This was reported by Italian newspaper La Repubblica, ANI said.
No one had requested any authorisation or consulted Italian military leaders regarding the use, the newspaper reported, adding that the plan had been communicated while the planes were already in flight.
La Repubblica has claimed that checks revealed that these were not normal or logistical flights and therefore were not covered by the treaty with Italy.
Reuters quoted another Italian media outlet as saying that the aircraft were United States Air Force bombers. However, their numbers or time of arrival were not known.
In early March, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni had said in an interview with RTL radio that, “We’re not at war; we don’t want to go to war,” as quoted by Politico.
Crosetto himself conceded the “powerlessness” of America’s European allies in a parliamentary debate, Politico reported.
The attack on Iran had “certainly occurred outside the rules of international law”, he admitted, but added no government, European or otherwise, could have prevented the strikes.
The potential use of US military bases in Italy also risks becoming politically explosive in a country where the public has historically been wary of being drawn into US-led conflicts, the Politico has said.
The Italian government insisted that the use of bases such as Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily is limited to logistical and technical support covered by long-standing bilateral agreements, it was reported.
In her comments to RTL radio, Meloni had clarified that the use of Italian soil to provide support for strikes would require the government’s permission, which has not been requested.
US president Donald Trump, meanwhile, is considering ending the US military campaign in Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
Trump believes the US can declare victory by achieving its “core” military goals without being bogged down in a protracted maritime clearance mission.
