Meloni says Italy did not and will not support US strikes on Iran, urges diplomatic solution
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday reiterated that Italy did not allow its military bases to be used for US kinetic attacks against Iran, stressing that Rome has consistently opposed direct involvement in the conflict.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Meloni said Italy had maintained the same position since the conflict began. "We would not participate in attacks on Iran, and we are not participating in attacks on Iran, and we will not participate in attacks on Iran," she said.
Responding to questions about the use of Italian military bases, Meloni said the government's position had remained unchanged.
"As far as the bases are concerned, it is not that we made decisions or choices in such a way, one day doing one thing and another day doing something else. We have had a very clear line from the beginning of the conflict in Iran, and we maintain that line," she said.
Her remarks came after US President Donald Trump criticised Italy's refusal to support US military action against Iran.
On Tuesday, Trump described Meloni as "a nice person" but said her decision not to become involved had affected their relationship.
"She refused to get involved, so it soured my relationship with her a little bit...I think she made a mistake," Trump told reporters in Turkey. Meloni also voiced concern over the worsening security situation in the Middle East, warning that further escalation could destabilise the wider region.
"I am obviously very concerned about what is happening in Iran," she said. "We cannot rule out that this might also spread to other areas of this delicate region." The Italian prime minister argued that military action had failed to produce lasting results and said diplomacy remained the best path toward resolving the crisis.
On NATO, Meloni said discussions with allies had not included any plans to reduce US troop deployments in Europe. She added, however, that Washington had long called on European allies to assume a greater share of the alliance's defence responsibilities.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
