Italy on Wednesday rejected remarks by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggesting Italian support for US military attacks on Iran, insisting that only non-kinetic logistical activities were authorized under existing agreements.
The dispute comes after Rutte, in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, referenced extensive flight activity across Europe in connection with US operations, including the use of American bases in Italy.
As many as "500 US planes took off from US bases in Italy to support (Operation) Epic Fury," Rutte told the broadcaster, adding that "between 4,000 and 5,000 flight missions" took place across Europe.
His comments sparked immediate pushback from Rome, which rejected any interpretation suggesting Italian participation in combat operations.
The Italian Defense Ministry said only technical and logistical support activities were authorized, stressing that no kinetic operations were permitted under bilateral and NATO-related arrangements, ANSA news agency reported.
"It is surprising that the NATO secretary general, who had nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury, is offering a reconstruction that conveys a completely misleading message by confusing the types of authorized flights," the ministry said.
"Only technical and logistical, non-kinetic, activities were authorized within the procedures established by existing agreements," it added, stressing that any request outside this scope had been denied.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also weighed in, describing the controversy as "a storm in a teacup" and insisting that Rutte's remarks had been misinterpreted.
Tajani said Italy had always acted in full compliance with its constitutional and treaty obligations, and reiterated that Rome remains ready to provide full transparency to parliament on the matter.
NATO later moved to clarify the secretary general's comments, with spokesperson Allison Hart saying Rutte was referring to logistical and technical support, rather than combat operations.
"The secretary general highlighted how allies, including Italy, carried out their existing bilateral agreements in the context of basing and overflights. The kind of support he referred to relates to logistics or technical support," Hart said.
