Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte of misrepresenting Italy's involvement in the Iran conflict, stating he confused logistical support with direct participation in attacks.
The differing accounts highlight potential diplomatic friction within NATO regarding military support and operational transparency, particularly concerning sensitive conflicts in the Middle East.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday accused NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte of giving a muddled account when he described her country as offering "massive" support to U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran. Rutte's claim that Rome played a key role in the Iran war by allowing 500 U.S. military aircraft to use Italian air bases triggered an immediate political storm for Meloni, whose opponents accused her of misleading the public.
Meloni pushed back, stating Rutte was incorrectly implying that flights from Italy were used in direct attacks on Iran. She clarified that Italy did not participate in the conflict and that its bases were used only for logistical and technical operations. Meloni suggested Rutte's "oversimplified account" might have been an attempt to prepare for an upcoming NATO summit.
A NATO spokesperson confirmed Rutte's comments were about "logistics or technical support" and that allies, including Italy, carried out existing bilateral agreements. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani discussed the matter with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, who Meloni said understood there had been a misunderstanding.