Overview
- NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte publicly said roughly 500 US military aircraft flew from bases in Italy to support the US‑Israeli campaign, a claim that triggered the row.
- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto have all denied authorising offensive operations from Italian territory and released defence‑ministry flight data to challenge the characterisation.
- Tajani spoke directly with Iran’s deputy foreign minister to insist Italy did not permit strikes and urged reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to relieve blocked Italian cargo ships.
- Iran cited UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 to argue that allowing territory to be used for attacks can amount to aggression and said Rome could bear international responsibility.
- The dispute has increased political pressure on Meloni at home, worsened diplomatic friction with the United States, and is expected to shape NATO discussions on basing and force posture ahead of the July summit.