NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that Italy allowed US military aircraft to use its bases for strikes against Iran, contradicting claims that Rome refused to support Washington’s military operation.
Speaking to Fox News, Rutte said that between 4,000 and 5,000 US military aircraft sorties involved in Operation Epic Fury were launched from European airfields, with around 500 flights originating from Italian bases.
He also noted that allies remain engaged in helping the US protect the Strait of Hormuz.
"You see now massive European allies pre-positioning their assets close to the Strait so to be able to help, for example, when it comes to demining," Rutte added.
The NATO chief’s remarks prompted a sharp response in Rome. Italy’s Ministry of Defence described Rutte’s comments as completely inaccurate and insisted that it had authorised only flights that complied with the terms of bilateral agreements.
Italy’s parliamentary opposition raised concerns that the government may have secretly allowed the United States to use Italian airbases for strikes on Iran while publicly claiming otherwise. Green Party lawmaker Angelo Bonelli called on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to immediately clarify the situation, accusing her of having “misled the Italian people and parliament.”
In the same interview, Rutte also praised Romanian authorities for agreeing to reduce the number of commercial flights at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport to facilitate the operation of military tanker aircraft.
The NATO chief further described the financial contribution of the alliance’s European members as enormous, although he did not provide specific figures.
By Jeyhun Aghazada
