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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that approximately 500 US aircraft took off from Italian bases in support of the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, codenamed "Operation Epic Fury." Source: BBC This remark has triggered a diplomatic row, with Italy vehemently denying involvement in combat operations and Iran condemning NATO's complicity.
Rutte told Fox News that the flights were part of broader European support, but Italy's defence ministry quickly rejected the claim, calling it "fallacious" and "totally misleading." Source: BBC Tehran accused NATO of "complicity" in the war, escalating tensions further. Source: Ground News
For Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, already facing domestic challenges and a strained relationship with US President Donald Trump, the incident deepens her difficulty in balancing ties between Europe and the US. Source: BBC Italian ministers initially considered boycotting a US embassy event, though the mood later softened.
“Italy's defence ministry called Rutte's account "fallacious" and "totally misleading", insisting it had only ever authorised technical and logistical flights, not combat operations, and had refused any request that crossed that line.”
“Tehran accused NATO on Thursday of "complicity" in the US-Israeli war against Iran, after the bloc's chief noted its support for the United States in the conflict.”
“Last Wednesday, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told Fox News that around 500 US aircraft had taken off from American bases in Italy in support of 'Operation Epic Fury', the codename for the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.”
Meloni seeks to normalize ties with US after spat with Trump