Italy blocks US warplanes heading toward Iran, raising NATO tensions
Italian defense minister banned landing of US aircraft (photo: Getty Images)
Italy secretly denied US bombers permission to land at Sigonella base, which could have triggered a serious diplomatic crisis between two NATO allies, Corriere della Sera reports.
The decision was made by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto after an urgent call from Chief of Staff Luciano Portolano.
The planes were already in the air, and no one had asked for permission
According to the publication, a few nights ago, the Italian Air Force command received a flight plan for US bombers. They were supposed to land in Sigonella and then fly to the Middle East.
The problem was that no one had requested authorization. The route was simply reported when the planes were already airborne.
A check confirmed that these flights were not routine or logistical and did not fall under the bilateral agreement between Italy and the United States.
Italy did not allow US planes to land
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has repeatedly stated in parliament:
"We seek to bring any operation that is not covered by agreements and therefore requires authorization through parliament," the minister said.
There was no doubt about what needed to be done. Especially since the aircraft themselves had a special designation, a so-called warning. Such aircraft are not allowed to land without prior approval, except in emergencies.
Chief of Staff Portolano, on the minister's instructions, contacted the US command. The response was clear: landing in Sigonella was denied, there was no authorization, and no prior consultations.
The decision was made with awareness of possible consequences. A similar situation occurred in 1985 during the Craxi government and Reagan presidency, and it escalated into a full diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
At present, it is not known how the United States reacted to this precedent.
Escalation of relations between NATO and the United States
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington may reconsider its participation in NATO after the operation against Iran is completed.
The reason is the refusal of most allies to provide support and to allow the use of bases and airspace.
According to Rubio, if the alliance is only about defending Europe and not about reciprocity, it is not a very good arrangement.
Earlier, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced a ban on US aircraft using the country's airspace during operations against Iran.
Before that, Madrid had already denied the United States the use of joint bases, from which at least 12 tanker aircraft had to be withdrawn. Trump, in response, ordered to cut all relations with Spain.
Amid tensions with allies over Iran, US President Donald Trump is considering a radical reform of the alliance. The idea is to strip voting rights from countries that spend less than 5 percent of their GDP on defense, and also deny them US protection in case of an attack.
These plans have not yet been officially discussed in Brussels, but US officials are already promoting them in closed forums.
