Meloni responded on Thursday, clarifying that Rutte incorrectly suggested that flights from Italy were directly involved in attacks on Iran while trying to assure Washington of NATO’s significant involvement.
“In his — let’s call it enthusiastic — account, the secretary-general has muddled together things that are actually quite distinct, confusing the types of authorized flights,” Meloni stated at a Franco-Italian summit in southern France.
She emphasized, “We did not participate in the conflict with Iran. If we had, it would contradict the disappointment the U.S. president often expresses.”
The Italian prime minister has recently had disagreements with Trump, who criticized her for not allowing U.S. bombers access to Italian bases.
Meloni reiterated that Italy permitted bases to be used only for logistical and technical purposes.
She expressed confusion over why Rutte provided this “oversimplified account.”
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