Overview
- Italian officials confirmed Tuesday that U.S. aircraft bound for the Middle East were denied a landing at Sigonella, a major U.S.-NATO logistics hub in Sicily.
- Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the flights were not logistical, which placed them outside the 1954 pact that requires parliament to clear combat-related use.
- Italian media reported the U.S. filed to land only after takeoff, leaving no time to obtain the authorization Italy says is needed for such missions.
- Rome said each request is reviewed case by case and stressed this refusal does not close Italian bases to the United States.
- Spain separately closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in strikes on Iran, highlighting different European limits on U.S. operations toward the region.