Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly corrected NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Thursday, rejecting his assertion that Italy had provided major support for US-Israeli military operations against Iran. Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron at a bilateral summit in southern France, Meloni stated that Rome had authorised only technical and logistical flights from American bases on its territory and had refused any requests that went beyond that perimeter. “We did not participate in the conflict with Iran,” she said, adding that Rutte’s “enthusiastic reconstruction” had confused different categories of flights and created a misleading impression of Italian involvement.

The dispute originated in remarks Rutte made to Fox News and later to the Atlantic Council, in which he said 4,000 to 5,000 US military aircraft sorties had been launched from European bases for the operation dubbed “Epic Fury,” with around 500 of those flights originating in Italy. A NATO spokesperson subsequently clarified that the secretary-general was referring to logistical and technical support provided under existing bilateral agreements and had not suggested Italy participated directly in strikes. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called Rutte’s initial statement “completely incorrect,” while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi by telephone that no Italian base had been used for bombing missions and that no such authorisation would be granted in the future.

Viewed from Washington, the episode exposes a widening rift over burden-sharing within the alliance. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised European allies for refusing to join the military campaign against Iran, singling out Meloni and questioning Italy’s value to NATO. Trump’s social-media posts accused Rome of denying access to landing strips and warned that he was considering a US withdrawal from the alliance. From Tehran’s perspective, Rutte’s initial account was seized upon as an admission of active NATO involvement. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the remarks as “a clear and incriminating acknowledgement” and demanded that European governments explain their role to their own publics and the international community.

The controversy lands weeks before a NATO summit in Ankara, where alliance leaders are expected to confront the political fallout of the Iran operation and Trump’s threats to downgrade the US commitment. Italian officials have indicated that Iranian authorities now understand a misunderstanding occurred, but Tehran continues to press for a formal, public denial from Rome. The episode illustrates how ambiguities in the legal frameworks governing US bases in Europe can generate diplomatic crises when operational details become public, and it underscores the difficulty NATO faces in maintaining a unified posture while individual members impose distinct national caveats on the use of their territory.