Premier Giorgia Meloni said Thursday that Italy was going to send air-defence systems to Gulf States that have come under fire in Iran’s response to the attacks by the United States and Israel. “Like the UK, France and Germany, Italy intends to send aid to the Gulf countries,” Meloni told RTL 102.5 radio. “We are clearly talking about defence, air defence, not just because they are friend nations, but also because there are tens of thousands of Italians in that area and around 2,000 soldiers that we must protect, and the Gulf is vital for supplies”.
Meloni also addressed questions about the possible use of U.S. military bases on Italian soil, saying Italy and its allies were respecting the terms of existing bilateral agreements.
“This means that what is laid down in the agreements is not being called into question, and I think that applies to everyone. The same applies to us,” Meloni said.