Amidst rising tensions in West Asia, Italy has refused the United States access to the Sigonella military base, signalling a cautious approach to international conflicts and prioritising national sovereignty.
Key Points
- Italy denied the US military use of the Sigonella base for flights to West Asia due to a lack of consultation and concerns over flight purposes.
- The Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has expressed a desire to avoid escalation and remain neutral in regional conflicts.
- Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto acknowledged the 'powerlessness' of European allies in preventing attacks on Iran.
- Spain has also closed its airspace and military bases to US planes involved in potential attacks related to the conflict.
- The Italian government will seek parliamentary authorisation for any future requests regarding the use of Italian military facilities by foreign powers.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Monday (local time) denied the United States the use of Sigonella base.
The denial came after Italy came to know of the flight plan of some US air assets, which involved landing at Sigonella before heading to West Asia, according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
However, according to the Italian newspaper, no one had requested any authorisation or consulted Italian military leaders regarding the use. The newspaper reported that the plan had in fact been communicated while the planes were already in flight.
According to La Repubblica, the checks revealed that these were not normal or logistical flights and therefore were not covered by the treaty with Italy.
Italy PM Says 'We're Not At War'
Meanwhile, in early March, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in an interview with RTL radio that, "We're not at war. We don't want to go to war."
According to Politico, Crosetto (Italian Defence Minister) himself conceded the "powerlessness" of America's European allies in a parliamentary debate.
He admitted the attack on Iran had "certainly occurred outside the rules of international law" but added no government, European or otherwise, could have prevented the strikes.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has said it would seek parliamentary authorisation should any such requests be made.
Spain Shuts Airspace To US Planes
Earlier, Spain has closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran.
"We will not authorise the use of Morón and Rota (military bases) for any acts related to the war in Iran," Italy's Defence Minister Margarita Robles has said, adding that Spain had "made this clear to the American government from the beginning".
Foreign Affairs Minister José Manuel Albares stated that the aim of the decision was to "not do anything that could encourage an escalation in this war".
© 2026