Is Meloni turning her back on the US and Israel over election fear? |
Italy appears to be following Spain’s footsteps in relation to the use of military air bases or, at least, that’s what the Italian media have been reporting.
The daily newspaper La Repubblica reported that the Italian Ministry of Defense refused to allow the United States to use the Sigonella base last Friday. The refusal by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto came after it emerged that several American aircraft had filed flight plans involving a stop at the Sicilian base before continuing on to the Middle East.
However, no request for approval was submitted, and no consultation was carried out with the Italian government. The plan was submitted when the planes were already in the air, and the checks revealed that these were not normal or logistical flights, and therefore were not included in the framework of the agreements with Italy.
Another Italian mainstream daily newspaper, Corriere della Sera, explained on Tuesday that the Italian Armed Forces’ Chief of Defense Staff, Luciano Portolano, informed Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto a few nights ago that several US aircraft were planning to land at Sigonella before departing for the Middle East. The aircraft reportedly did not request authorization or consult with the Italian military, with Portolano being informed of the plans while the US aircraft were already in flight.
After conducting initial checks, the military chief was reportedly ordered by Crosetto to reject the US request for landing since it was established that the flights were not covered by the treaty between the countries.
There really was no possible solution that would allow the US planes to have a quick stop in Sigonella? Or did Italy want to send a signal to someone? Putting aside the technicalities regarding the refusal of the Italian government to allow the US planes to land, it is worth recalling that the Italian Defense Minister Crosetto has expressed some interesting positions regarding the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran. For instance, in early March, Crosetto told the Italian Parliament that the attack was against international law and complained about the repercussions: “It certainly violated international law… The Israeli attack began when Khamenei’s position became known. It’s a war that began without the world’s knowledge and that we now find ourselves having to manage,” he added. “Our problem is managing the consequences of a crisis that has exploded and that we didn’t want.”
On March 6, 2026, during an interview with the Italian Rete 4 channel, the Iranian ambassador to Italy, Mohammad Reza Sabbouri, stated that Italy is “a friendly country”, but he warned Rome about the consequences if it were to allow the United States to use its military bases for operations related to the conflict.
Was it a warning? A threat? The most appropriate measure to take, at that point, would have been to recall the ambassador, but the Italian government did not take any steps.
On the contrary, the Italian government recently reacted aggressively against Israel when Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, was prevented by the Israeli police from celebrating Palm Sunday mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. What the Italian government initially overlooked is that the ban was driven by security concerns. Israel had imposed restrictions on gatherings in all sensitive areas, including places of worship such as synagogues, churches, and mosques. In fact, Iran’s missile attacks have repeatedly targeted holy sites in Jerusalem. As explained by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Latin Patriarch would be granted “full and immediate access” so that he could “hold services as he wishes.” It is worth noticing that while the Italian government immediately took diplomatic steps on Israel regarding the issue, the Vatican did not.
Why is the Meloni government suddenly moving towards harsher positions against the United States and Israel regarding the Iran war? Could it be because of the referendum defeat on the separation of judicial careers?
Although the vote was ostensibly a technical matter, it was heavily exploited by the far-left, the pro-Palestinians and the Islamists, turning it into a referendum against her government. The result was a turnout of 59% and a 54% voting against the reform.
Meloni said that the vote was not a political one but exclusively technical, and she may be right about that. However, her recent moves suggest that Meloni is far more concerned than she lets on about the far-left, pro-Palestinian positions, to the point of undermining positions that, more than ever, need to be held firm. Added to this are the government’s rather ambiguous positions toward the Iranian regime, with which the Italian government appears unwilling to engage.
All of this can plausibly be linked to the increasingly imminent 2027 parliament elections, assuming they aren’t brought forward. What is certain, however, is that ambiguous positions lead nowhere and risk being highly counterproductive, both in terms of electoral support and international alliances. The Sanchez position is surely not the best example to follow and Italy cannot afford it. Meloni should know better.