NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Fox News that 500 U.S. military aircraft took off from American bases in Italy to support Operation "Epic Fury" against Iran, calling it "massive." The statement rebuts President Trump's claim that Italy denied landing rights for U.S. aircraft during operations against Iran, as The Zioneer previously reported.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in a Fox News interview Wednesday, confirmed that 500 U.S. military aircraft took off from American bases in Italy in support of Operation "Epic Fury" — the campaign against Iran — and described the effort as "massive."
The statement pushes back against President Donald Trump's accusation, published on his social media Saturday, that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni refused landing rights for U.S. military aircraft during operations against Iran. The Zioneer reported on Tuesday that Rutte had acknowledged some allied disappointment over burden-sharing during the Iran war, but he described those cases as isolated. This latest Fox News interview amounts to a direct on-the-record rebuttal from the alliance's chief to the president's criticism.
Rutte's figure of 500 aircraft significantly dwarfs the scale of prior publicly discussed basing and overflight arrangements. The comments come amid a broader tension between Washington and several NATO allies over U.S. force posture in Europe during the conflict, including reported reductions in U.S. fighter jets assigned to the alliance.
2 developments
- DevelopingItaly rebukes NATO chief Rutte, says only non-combat flights were approved
- DevelopingNATO chief acknowledges allied disappointment over US access during Iran war
- DevelopingNATO chief says US troop reduction from Europe takes effect
- DevelopingTrump says Meloni begged for G7 photo, slams Italy's refusal to aid Iran military action
Source and signal
- Internal intake