Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday blasted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for saying 500 US military aircraft launched from Italian bases during the Iran campaign, calling his account "confused" and inaccurate. Meloni insisted Italy authorized only logistics and technical flights — not combat missions — and accused Rutte of mixing different flight types.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni escalated the public dispute with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Friday, sharply rejecting his claim that 500 U.S. military aircraft operated from Italian bases to support Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
Speaking to journalists during a Franco-Italian summit in southern France, Meloni said Rutte presented a "confused and inaccurate description" of Italy's assistance to the United States. "In his — let's call it 'enthusiastic' — description, the NATO secretary general mixed together completely different things and confused different types of flights that were authorized," she said. Meloni reiterated that Italy authorized only logistical and technical flights, not direct combat missions, and that Rome did not participate in the conflict with Iran. "By the way, if we had participated, the dissatisfaction that the U.S. president keeps expressing would not have been recorded," she added.
The exchange is the latest in a series of transatlantic tensions over Italy's role in the U.S.-led campaign against Iran. As The Zioneer previously reported, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Italy of refusing landing rights for U.S. military aircraft, a claim Meloni and her government have denied. Rutte's interview with Fox News earlier this week — in which he cited the 500 flights to rebut Trump's criticism — triggered a political storm in Italy, with Meloni's opponents accusing her of misleading the public about Italy's involvement. Meloni hinted that Rutte may have been trying to prepare the ground for an upcoming NATO summit but stressed that "we must proceed with caution" on such matters. She did not say whether she expects an apology from Rutte.
2 developments
- DevelopingItaly rebukes NATO chief Rutte, says only non-combat flights were approved
- DevelopingTrump says Meloni begged for G7 photo, slams Italy's refusal to aid Iran military action
- StrongNATO chief Rutte: 500 US aircraft launched from Italian bases to back 'Epic Fury' operation
- DevelopingMeloni launches sharp personal attack on Trump amid escalating feud
Source and signal
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