Italy Officially Denies: We Have Taken No Military Action Against Iran

Rome's Emergency Call to Tehran to Resolve Misunderstandings Following rising verbal tensions and conflicting reports regarding the role of European countries in recent regional conflicts, Antonio Tajani, Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister, emphasized his country's position of neutrality in a phone call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the evening of Thursday, June 25, 2026. During this conversation, Tajani explicitly stated that Italy has never participated in any military initiatives against the Islamic Republic of Iran and has not authorized the use of its military bases for combat strikes [1][4].

This diplomatic contact took place while the Italian political atmosphere has been highly inflamed due to recent statements by NATO officials. Tajani wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter): "I spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister. Italy, in strict compliance with its treaties with the United States, has never participated in acts of war against Iran" [3].

Mark Rutte's Controversy and the Italian Government's Sharp Reaction The root of this tension dates back to a recent interview by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte with Fox News. In this interview, Rutte claimed that approximately 500 American aircraft took off from military bases on Italian soil to support an operation known as "Epic Fury" [2][5]. These statements immediately met with a sharp reaction from the Italian Ministry of Defense and opposition parties, who accused Giorgia Meloni's government of secrecy.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, rejecting Rutte's claims, stated that the Secretary General's message was "completely misleading." He clarified that the flights carried out were purely "logistical and technical" in nature, based on long-standing bilateral agreements, and that no offensive or "kinetic" operations were directed against Iran from Italian territory [4][5].

Iran's Demands and Rome's Diplomatic Signals In response, Abbas Araghchi, while appreciating his Italian counterpart's clarification, emphasized that given the broad dimensions of the claims made by NATO, it is necessary for the Italian government to officially and publicly deny this matter [1]. Araghchi noted that regional security should not fall victim to miscalculations or misinformation.

On the other hand, Antonio Tajani used this opportunity to raise Italy's economic and diplomatic demands. He called for the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the release of Italian cargo ships whose routes were blocked during recent tensions [2][3]. Tajani also described the reopening of the Italian embassy in Tehran as a strong sign of Rome's desire to continue dialogue and revive economic and cultural relations, even under the most difficult political conditions [3]. These developments indicate Rome's effort to maintain a balance between its obligations in NATO and its national interests in the Middle East.