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Italy rebukes NATO's Rutte over remarks on US use of bases in Iran war
Rome said it approved only technical and logistical flights, rejecting Rutte’s claim that 500 U.S. aircraft left Italian bases for the Iran campaign.
- The Italian Defense Ministry issued a sharp rebuke against NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, firmly denying that Rome permitted the United States to use military bases on its territory to launch offensive operations against Iran.
- The controversy erupted after Rutte claimed 500 U.S. aircraft had deployed from Italian bases to support "Operation Epic Fury"—the U.S.-led military campaign in the Middle East—using it in a Fox News interview as an example to counter Donald Trump's criticisms of European allies.
- Defense Minister Guido Crosetto expressed surprise at Rutte’s "completely misleading" narrative, clarifying that Italy strictly authorized non-kinetic, technical, and logistical flights in full compliance with its Constitution, and flatly denied any U.S. requests that exceeded those boundaries.
- The diplomatic blunder ignited a heavy domestic political storm for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose administration already faces strained relations with Trump over the conflict; Italian opposition leaders immediately demanded she testify before parliament to clarify if lawmakers had been misled.
- NATO swiftly scrambled to defuse the friction ahead of next month's Ankara summit, with an alliance spokesperson issuing a statement clarifying that Rutte was merely highlighting standard bilateral arrangements for logistical transit and overflight rights, rather than active combat participation.
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'Petty' Trump triggers NATO in-fighting after losing argument to Meloni?
A fresh disagreement has emerged within NATO after Italy pushed back against claims that U.S. military operations linked to Iran relied on American bases on Italian soil. Rome strongly rejected suggestions that it authorized combat-related activities, with Italian officials accusing NATO chief Mark Rutte of creating confusion over Italy’s role.
·New Delhi, India
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Most of the day's information on the war in the region.
·Paris, France
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According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Tehran accuses the Alliance of co-indebtedness in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
·Berlin, Germany
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The Defense Ministry in Rome said his statements sent a "completely misleading message."
Coverage Details
Total News Sources75
Leaning Left13Leaning Right20Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Right
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources lean Right
44% Right
L 29%
C 27%
R 44%
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