In his words: “Of course it was outside the rules of international law,” Crosetto said today in the Italian Parliament. “The Israeli attack started at the moment when Khamenei’s position became known. It is a war that began without the world knowing and that we now find ourselves having to manage.”
- The minister added that the key issue for Italy is dealing with the consequences of the crisis. “Our problem is managing the consequences of a crisis that has exploded and that we did not want.”
Happened today: Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani addressed the Italian Parliament with formal communications on the situation in the Middle East.
- The Chamber of Deputies later approved the majority resolution committing the government to “participate” in a “common effort within the EU to support, if requested, EU member states in defending their territory from Iranian missile or drone attacks.”
Between the lines: In recent days, the Italian MoD was stranded in Dubai, where he had been for personal reasons during the first 48 hours of the bombing campaign. The episode sparked political controversy in Italy.
Zoom out: the bases. Defense Minister Crosetto said that the United States has so far not requested the use of operational military bases in Italy — a move that would require authorization from the Italian Parliament.
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“The part for which we are asking Parliament for support concerns issues on which we must remain united. The use of bases that Italy grants is the same as Spain’s, because the treaty is identical. Therefore, we will grant the same use as Sánchez — yet he is the one portrayed as the hero.”
Zoom in: support to allies and partners. “We must reassess,” the defense minister explained, “our deployments in the region and respond to requests from friendly countries in difficulty. We intend to deploy a multi-domain device in the Middle East, with anti-drone and anti-missile air defense systems. Together with the Spanish and the French, we will bring assistance to Cyprus.”
The Palazzo Chigi line: Before Crosetto’s speech, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced Italy does not intend to enter the Middle East war, while indicating that Rome is preparing to provide defensive assistance — including air defense support — to Gulf partners facing Iranian strikes.
What’s next: PM Meloni is expected to address Parliament on March 11.
