Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on Thursday that her country will provide Gulf countries with air-defense assistance after the retaliatory wave of Iranian strikes launched after US-Israeli attacks, according to AFP.
“We are clearly talking about defense, air defense, not just because they are friendly nations but because there are tens of thousands of Italians in that area and around 2,000 Italian soldiers that we must protect,” she said.
This move aligns with Italy’s plans to send, along with France, Spain, and the Netherlands, naval assets to defend EU member Cyprus “in coming days.”
In an interview with RTL 102.5 radio, Meloni stated that Italy, alongside the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, plans to provide aid to Gulf nations since Gulf “is vital for energy supplies for Italy and Europe.”
On Thursday morning, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani noted that several key Gulf states had formally asked Italy to bolster their air‑defense capabilities in the face of the growing regional security concerns coming from Iran.
Italy clarified that the assistance sent to Gulf nations would be “air defense, anti-drone and anti-missile systems.”
In coordination with NATO, Rome also ordered the country’s air and missile defense systems to be placed at maximum alert.
When asked about the possible involvement of the three US military bases on Italian soil in the current conflict in the Middle East, Meloni said they currently operate under authorization for “non‑bombing operations.”
Therefore, any request to broaden their use to combat missions would first need to be reviewed by her government and likely by the Italian parliament.
However, “to date, we have no requests in this regard,” Meloni added.
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