Rutte: 500 US Aircraft Left Italy for Epic Fury Support
Italy's Defense Ministry denied NATO chief Mark Rutte's claim that 500 U.S. aircraft used Italian bases for Iran strikes, saying only logistical flights were authorized.
Italy’s Ministry of Defense has forcefully rebutted claims made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte regarding the scope of American military operations conducted from Italian bases during Operation Epic Fury, as Il Giornale reports.
During a Fox News interview, Mark Rutte stated that 500 United States aircraft had used Italian bases to support the Epic Fury operation against Iran. He described this as a huge number, adding that across all of Europe the total reached between 4,000 and 5,000 flight missions. Rutte also addressed criticisms from President Donald Trump regarding NATO’s conduct during the Iran conflict, noting that while there was disappointment, these were isolated cases.
The Italian Defense Ministry issued an immediate clarification, categorically denying any deviation from constitutional and parliamentary constraints. The ministry emphasized that Italy and the Defense Ministry have always operated in full respect of the Constitution, international treaties, parliamentary directives, and agreements governing the presence and use of allied bases on national territory, without authorizing or permitting activities outside existing provisions.
According to the official statement, the government did exactly what was declared to the Italian Parliament. Only technical and logistical activities were authorized, not kinetic operations, within the framework of existing agreements. Whenever requests fell outside this perimeter, Italy denied authorization.
The Defense Ministry expressed surprise that Rutte presented a reconstruction that transmits a totally fallacious message by confusing the types of authorized flights. The ministry noted that a simple verification at the source would have provided the real representation of what occurred.
Matilde Siracusano, Undersecretary for Parliamentary Relations and a Forza Italia deputy, confirmed this account. She stated it appears quite evident the NATO Secretary General is talking about logistical and support operations covered by permanent authorizations for the use of Italian military bases. Italy recently denied certain American military aircraft use of the Sigonella base in the absence of required procedures, which prompted harsh reactions from Donald Trump toward Italy and Europe.
Left-Wing Opposition Attacks Government Despite Clarifications
Despite the misleading nature of Rutte’s statements, Italy’s left-wing opposition quickly attacked the government. Giuseppe Conte, leader of the Five Star Movement, claimed the government’s explanations were crumbling. He characterized Trump’s criticism as merely a reminder to a government that has always said yes, sarcastically questioning whether Italy would have launched 5,000 missions if Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had shared rather than merely not condemned the operation.
Five Star vice president Stefano Patuanelli echoed these attacks, declaring an end to what he called the rhetoric that Trump was angry because Italy denied use of its bases. He characterized this as another colossal lie told by the right across networks and newspapers, insisting Italy was and remains subordinate.
Five Star group leaders for the Foreign Affairs and Defense committees in both chambers, Alessandra Maiorino, Francesco Silvestri, and Arnaldo Lomuti, claimed Rutte’s words blatantly dismantle Meloni’s narrative that Italy did not support the American military adventure in Iran, aside from a single refusal of transit for bombers that would have violated bilateral agreements. They accused the Meloni government of always being subservient to Trump.
Angelo Bonelli of the Green and Left Alliance described the statements as extremely serious, claiming they expose Meloni as a liar. He asserted Italy participated in what he called a foolish war in Iran, and that Meloni kept hidden from Parliament that 500 American military aircraft took off from or landed at Italian NATO bases to strike Iran or provide support. His colleague Nicola Fratoianni suggested either the government lied to Parliament or Rutte suffered heatstroke.
Green and Left Alliance Senate group leader Peppe De Cristofaro demanded that Meloni, Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto provide immediate answers regarding Rutte’s statements.
With information from Il Giornale
