Overview
- Matteo Renzi used Senate question time to press Adolfo Urso on rising energy and fuel costs, accusing the minister of being a defender of Tehran and of having run a company that did business in Iran.
- Urso countered by telling people to search “Renzi and Rouhani” online and claimed Renzi had “knelt” before Iran’s then president during the 2016 Rome visit.
- The exchange triggered an uproar, and presiding vice president Licia Ronzulli cut Urso off for going off topic and admonished participants over their conduct.
- On policy, Urso said price increases in Italy were lower than in other countries and noted that targeted relief for lower- to middle-income households and trucking firms was under study.
- The confrontation unfolded in front of visiting students and continued on social media as Renzi posted about the clash, with no new evidence offered to substantiate the reciprocal Iran-related claims.