Italy Rules Out Role in U.S. War on Iran

(MENAFN) Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni moved on Thursday to draw a clear line between logistical cooperation and active warfare, declaring that Italy would honor its long-standing military base agreements with the US — but firmly ruling out any combat role amid the intensifying US-Israeli offensive against Iran.

Speaking on a radio program, Meloni confirmed that Rome had received no requests to use Italian bases for offensive operations against Iran, and issued an unambiguous statement of intent.

“Today we have no such request and I want to say that we are not at war and we do not want to enter a war,” she said.

Meloni outlined the boundaries of Italy’s obligations under bilateral agreements with Washington dating back to 1954, which permit the use of bases strictly for logistical and non-combat purposes.

“These are technical authorisations when we are clearly talking about logistics and so-called non-kinetic operations – simply put, operations that do not involve bombing,” she said.

Should Washington escalate its requests to include combat operations from Italian soil, Meloni said the government would not act unilaterally — stressing that any such decision would require full parliamentary consultation.

The prime minister also sounded the alarm over the broader regional trajectory, warning that the conflict carried “a risk of escalation that could have unpredictable consequences” — with direct implications for Italian interests and personnel in the area.

Italy is currently among a group of European nations — alongside the UK, France, and Germany — weighing the deployment of defensive support to Gulf countries caught in the crossfire. Meloni framed the move as a protective measure for the tens of thousands of Italian civilians in the region, as well as approximately 2,000 Italian troops stationed there, while also flagging the Gulf’s critical role in Europe’s energy supply chains.

On the economic front, Meloni cautioned that the crisis risked unleashing speculative pressure on energy and food markets, pledging that the government would intervene to prevent profiteering. She confirmed that gas prices were under active monitoring, and warned that companies found exploiting the crisis would face steeper taxes.

The developments come as the US and Israel have pressed forward with a sweeping offensive against Iran since Saturday, a campaign that has killed at least 926 people — among them Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior military commanders. Tehran has responded with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting both Israel and Gulf nations hosting US military assets.

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