European Security — 2026-06-26

NATO Chief Rutte Reveals Italy Allowed 500 US Military Aircraft to Use Bases During Iran Strikes

BLUFRutte's unforced disclosure collapsed Italy's studied ambiguity on basing support, leaving a formal Meloni parliamentary address genuinely uncertain through July 10.

In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said 500 U.S. aircraft departed from American bases in Italy during Operation Epic Fury 12. Rutte also said between 4,000 and 5,000 sorties total took off from European bases 12. Italy's Defense Ministry called the remarks "completely misleading," stating only non-kinetic technical and logistical flights were authorized under existing bilateral treaties and that kinetic requests were denied 34. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart subsequently confirmed Rutte's comments referred to logistics and technical support, consistent with independent flight-tracking analysis by ItaMilRadar, which documented surveillance drones, maritime patrol aircraft, and tankers operating from Sigonella toward the Middle East 34. Italian opposition parties demanded Prime Minister Meloni appear before parliament, with Defense Minister Crosetto offering to brief lawmakers on each authorized flight 24.

Analysis
Rutte's admission has broken Italy's carefully maintained public ambiguity on basing support for Epic Fury. Opposition parties now hold a credible claim that the Meloni government understated Italian involvement while publicly emphasizing kinetic denials. The volume of documented non-kinetic activity makes that distinction technically defensible but politically costly. A formal Meloni parliamentary address is genuinely uncertain through July 10. Moderate confidence reflects Crosetto's standing offer to brief lawmakers as a documented procedural alternative, but Italy's constitutional requirements for prime ministerial accountability leave the escalation path genuinely open.
5 sources
  1. Italy allowed US planes to use bases in Iran war, NATO says Rutte - Politico EU
  2. Rutte: 500 US flights from Italy against Iran; government denies this - Il Sole 24 Ore
  3. Italy denies NATO chief's claim about US flights during Iran war - Stars and Stripes
  4. Iran, Rutte: 500 US flights have departed from Italy. Crosetto: A misleading message; I am ready to report on this - EUNews
  5. 500 US flights from Italian bases during Epic Fury says Rutte - ANSA English Service

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