Italy disputes NATO chief's account of Iran war flights from Italian bases

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on Wednesday that approximately 500 planes took off from American bases in Italy during the Iran war, and that thousands of additional jets flew to Iran from European territory. The remarks, made ahead of next month's NATO summit in Ankara, were intended to underscore Europe's military contribution to the conflict. Italy's government immediately disputed the characterisation, calling Rutte's comments "completely misleading" according to reporting from international outlets.

The disagreement touches on a politically sensitive matter in Rome. Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto had told parliament just days earlier that the country would not participate in the NATO Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List scheme, under which member states fund the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine's defence. That decision signalled Rome's effort to constrain its defence spending commitments amid broader fiscal pressures.

The dispute over the scale of Italian base usage reflects deeper tensions within the alliance. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had harshly criticised NATO members in mid-June over defence spending levels and their stances on the Iran war, while announcing a comprehensive review of American military forces in Europe. Italy's pushback against Rutte's framing suggests Rome seeks to limit perceptions of its military entanglement in conflicts beyond its direct strategic interest, even as it coordinates with Britain, France, Germany and Poland in the so-called E5 group to strengthen NATO's European pillar ahead of the Ankara summit.