On Thursday, an unexpected scandal erupted in the European political arena. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly accused NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of distorting facts regarding Italy's role in the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The trigger for the sharp polemic was an interview given by the Alliance's head to the American TV channel Fox News, in which he claimed "massive" support from Rome for the American-Israeli campaign against Iran.
"Confusing interpretation" and the figure of 500 aircraft
Mark Rutte, attempting to address US President Donald Trump's disappointment regarding the contribution of European countries to defense, stated that Italy played a key role in the conflict. According to the Secretary General, Rome allowed 500 American military aircraft to use its airbases. This figure and phrasing provoked an immediate and categorical reaction from the Italian government.
Speaking during a Franco-Italian summit in southern France, Giorgia Meloni described Rutte's words as an "exaggerated story" that mixed completely different things. In the Prime Minister's opinion, the NATO Secretary General confused the types of flight permissions, creating a false impression of Italy's direct participation in combat operations.
Logistics versus combat attacks
Meloni clearly distinguished between concepts to refute the thesis that Italian bases were used to launch strikes on Iran. She emphasized that Italy did indeed provide access to its territory, but exclusively for logistical and technical operations. The Prime Minister insists: the country did not participate in the conflict at any stage.
"We did not participate in the conflict with Iran. Incidentally, if we had participated in the Iranian conflict, there would be no explanation for this disappointment that the US President repeats so often," Meloni summarized, pointing out that her position on this issue had been transparent and unchanged.
Political background and pressure from Washington
The scandal surrounding Rutte's words overlaid existing tensions in relations between Rome and Washington. In recent days, Giorgia Meloni has faced sharp criticism from Donald Trump for refusing to grant American bombers access to Italian bases for conducting strikes. The Prime Minister's domestic opponents used the NATO Secretary General's words as an argument, accusing Meloni of misleading the public regarding actual support for the US.
However, Meloni stood by her opinion. She noted that she has no idea why Rutte gave such a "too simplified version" of events. The head of government suggested it might have been an attempt to pave the way for the upcoming NATO summit, but warned that maximum caution and accuracy are necessary in such matters.