Italy recently declined authorization for certain US military aircraft en route to the Middle East on combat missions to land at its Sigonella base, located in eastern Sicily near Catania, defence ministry sources and Italian media reports on Tuesday. While agreements between Italy and the United States permit the use of some Italian bases by US military planes for logistical purposes, any use related to combat operations requires explicit government approval, which must be sanctioned by parliament.
A defence ministry official explained that the US aircraft requested permission to land while already airborne, leaving insufficient time to seek parliamentary consent, resulting in the refusal. The incident reportedly involved US bombers and occurred a few days ago, though details on the exact timing and the number of aircraft involved remain unclear.
In response to the reports, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office issued a statement affirming that Italy’s relationship with the United States remains strong, grounded in transparent and cooperative engagement. The statement emphasized that Italy strictly adheres to international agreements and evaluates each request individually.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Elly Schlein, head of the centre-left Democratic Party, criticized the refusal as evidence that the US aims to use Italian territory as a staging ground for the Middle East conflict. She urged that Italy’s denial should not be an isolated decision but rather a firm policy stance to deter future inappropriate requests from the US military command.
This development follows Spain’s leftist government decision to close its airspace to US aircraft conducting missions against Iran. Notably, Meloni, a far-right leader and one of former US President Donald Trump’s closest European allies, has positioned herself as a mediator between US and European perspectives on various issues. Regarding the Middle East war, she has aligned with more cautious European partners, reiterating that Italy is not involved in the conflict and does not intend to become entangled in it.
Given Italy’s status as a major energy importer, the country faces potential economic challenges from the sharp increase in oil prices triggered by the ongoing war in the region.
