![\"Naval](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/020426ITALYphoto01.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tNaval Air Station Sigonella on the Italian island of Sicily is shown with Mt. Etna in the background of this undated photo. (Jacques-Laurent Jean-Gilles\/U.S. Navy)
\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
NAPLES, Italy \u2014 Italy moved quickly this week to affirm its relationship with the United States after refusing to allow American military planes involved in operations against Iran to use a strategic base in Sicily.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stressed that Italy\u2019s partnership with America was \u201csolid\u201d following reports that U.S. military aircraft were denied permission to land at Naval Air Station Sigonella last week before flying onward to the Middle East.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are \u201cno critical issues or tensions with international partners,\u201d a statement from Meloni\u2019s office said Tuesday. The statement went on to emphasize that \u201crelations with the United States, in particular, are solid and based on full and loyal cooperation,\u201d Italian media reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meloni\u2019s comments come as President Donald Trump continues to criticize NATO allies for what he considers insufficient support for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, including efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. <\/p>\n In an interview published Wednesday<\/a> in the British newspaper The Telegraph, Trump said he was strongly considering pulling out of NATO after the conflict, which is now in its fifth week.<\/p>\n On Monday, Spain announced that it had closed its airspace to U.S. military aircraft involved in attacks on Iran. The action drew strong condemnation from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also blasted an earlier Spanish decision to restrict use of U.S. bases in the country for the same reason.<\/p>\n \u201cIf NATO is just about us defending Europe if they\u2019re attacked but then denying us basing rights when we need them, that\u2019s not a very good arrangement,\u201d Rubio said Monday on Al Jazeera. Rubio went on to say that U.S. involvement in the alliance would need to be \u201creexamined.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n In the case of Italy, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto denied access to NAS Sigonella Friday because the U.S. had not sought prior authorization or consulted with Italian military officials, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Tuesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n A request for permission only came after the U.S. military planes were in flight. Subsequent checks indicated that the flights were not routine or logistical, falling outside the scope of U.S.-Italy agreements, ANSA reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n In clarifying his decision, Crosetto said he wanted to ensure international pacts, including the Status of Forces Agreement of 1951 and the Italy-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding of 1995, were respected.<\/p>\n