Italy to send air-defence aid to Gulf countries; France allowing US aircraft on some Mideast bases

by AFP Staff Writers
Rome (AFP) Mar 5, 2026
Italy will send air-defence assistance to Gulf countries hit by Iranian strikes launched in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Thursday.

Separately, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament Thursday that Italy would send, along with France, Spain, and the Netherlands, naval assets to defend EU member Cyprus "in coming days".

In an interview with RTL 102.5 radio, Meloni said "Italy, like the UK, France and Germany, intends to send aid to the Gulf countries.

"We are clearly talking about defence, air defence, not just because they are friendly nations but because there are tens of thousands of Italians in that area and around 2,000 Italian soldiers that we must protect," she added.

"And the Gulf is vital for energy supplies for Italy and Europe."

Addressing parliament Thursday morning, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani explained that some strategic Gulf nations "have formally requested Italy's support to strengthen their air defence capabilities against attacks coming from Iran."

"Tens of thousands of Italians, civilians and military personnel" were in those regions, he said.

Thus far, the foreign ministry had helped about 10,000 Italians to leave the areas at risk, he said.

Crosetto, while also addressing parliament, specified that the assistance sent to Gulf nations would be "air defence, anti?drone and anti?missile systems".

He said that in Italy, he had given orders to raise to its maximum level protection of the country's air and missile defence network, in coordination with NATO.

Meloni was also asked about the potential involvement in the war of the three US military bases in Italy.

She said they already had authorisation for "non-bombing operations", and any change in this would have to be considered by her government, and likely the Italian parliament.

But "to date, we have no requests in this regard", she added, a statement confirmed by Crosetto to parliament.

France allowing US aircraft on some Mideast bases: military
Paris, France (AFP) Mar 5, 2026 - France has allowed US aircraft on some of its bases in the Middle East after US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered regional conflict, the French military said Thursday.

"As part of our relations with the United States, the presence of their aircraft has been temporarily authorised on our bases" in the region, a spokeswoman for the military general staff told AFP.

"These aircraft contribute to the protection of our partners in the Gulf."

France has an airbase in the United Arab Emirates and aircraft stationed in Jordan, as well as an airbase just outside the region in Djibouti.

President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said US-Israel military operations in Iran since Saturday had been conducted "outside international law".

But he placed primary blame on the Islamic republic for the conflict that has since spread to other parts of the Middle East.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refused to allow the Americans to use UK air bases.

But he later agreed to a US request to use two British military bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose".