'We Did Not Participate In Iran Conflict': Italy's Meloni Counters NATO Chief's Remarks On West Asia War

Published 26 June 2026 · europe

'We Did Not Participate In Iran Conflict': Italy's Meloni Counters NATO Chief's Remarks On West Asia War Published By, Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 08:07

'We Did Not Participate In Iran Conflict': Italy's Meloni Counters NATO Chief's Remarks On West Asia War Published By, Last Updated: June 26, 2026, 08:07 IST Giorgia Meloni rebukes NATO chief Mark Rutte for 'oversimplifying account' of Italy's role in the Iran conflict. She suggested Rome had not participated in the war Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni (AFP file photo) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday rebuked NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte over what she described as an “oversimplified account" of Rome’s role in the West Asia conflict, involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. The controversy stems from Rutte’s remarks –– made during an interview with Fox News –– that Italy had played a major role in the Iran conflict, providing support to the U.S.-Israeli operations. The NATO chief suggested that Italy had allowed around 500 U.S. military aircraft to use Italian bases during the war. The statement had sparked backlash from the opposition parties in Italy, which alleged that PM Meloni had contradicted her earlier stance that Italy had no role in the conflict. “In his — let’s call it enthusiastic — account, the secretary-general has lumped together things that are actually quite different from one another, confusing the types of authorised flights," she told reporters, according to Politico.

Referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of Italy’s role, Meloni said: “We did not participate in the conflict with Iran. By the way, if we had participated in the Iran conflict, there would be no explanation for this disappointment that the U.S. president keeps reiterating very often". She suggested that Rutte had provided an “oversimplified account" of Italy’s role in the West Asia war. “Probably it was an attempt to prepare in the best way the next NATO summit, but, in any case, I think one needs to be cautious when talking about these matters", said the Italian PM. However, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart clarified that Rutte had not implied that Italy had a direct role in the war but referred to logistical and technical support provided under existing bilateral agreements. Trump’s Rift With NATO Allies U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Washington’s European allies of failing to provide support to his country during the military operations against Tehran. Recently, Trump cast shadow over Italy’s role in NATO, and claimed that the U.S.’ ally was reluctant to support Washington when it needed them the most. He also questioned Rome over its denial to get directly involved in the war with Tehran.