Crosetto reiterates: no U.S. flights from Italian bases for “kinetic” activities.
Speaking yesterday in the Chamber of Deputies during the question time, the Minister of Defense clarified the issue of U.S. flights departing from Italian bases during the United States’ Epic Fury operation in Iran: “518 flights,” confirmed Guido Crosetto, but none of which were for conducting “kinetic” activities.
During the question time, the minister specified that between February 28 and June 23, 518 flights were authorized, clarifying that none were employed for “kinetic” activities against Iran and that the government denied authorization when U.S. requests went beyond what was provided for in bilateral agreements.
The issue returned to the center of political debate after the statements of NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who in an interview with Fox News on June 25 stated that about 500 U.S. flights had departed from American bases in Italy in support of the American military operation against Tehran.
A reconstruction immediately contested by the Ministry of Defense, which reiterated that Italy authorized exclusively technical and logistical activities, excluding any kinetic activity and denying the green light whenever U.S. requests exceeded the scope provided by bilateral agreements.
ALL THE NUMBERS OF AUTHORIZED FLIGHTS
In the Chamber, Defense Minister Crosetto provided data related to authorized flights in the period between February 28 and June 23.
“The flights authorized in the period between February 28 and June 23 were 518. In 2019, in the same period, there were 722, in 2020 there were 450, in 2021 457, in 2022 560, in 2023 485, in 2024 469, and in 2025 493,” detailed the minister.
“There was no difference compared to the past, because these bases are mainly used for logistical reasons, every year and all year round,” observed Crosetto.
The Minister of Defense then highlighted that “these are the number of flights that normally pass through those bases. There was no difference this time compared to others,” adding that “It’s not that Defense keeps data to itself, Defense works for the Italian Government, works for the Italian State.”
THE DENIAL OF FLIGHTS FOR “KINETIC” ACTIVITIES
During the briefing, the minister reiterated that the government did not authorize missions attributable to offensive military activities against Iranian territory.
“When the United States planned activities different from those attributable to the scope of the existing bilateral agreements, they clearly communicated this and this Government, as is known, did not grant authorization. A denial that also generated strong disappointment from the American Administration, as has been seen and can be seen,” Crosetto stated.
The reference is also to the recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, on the sidelines of the G7 in Evian, which brought attention back to the state of relations between Italy and the United States, as well as to the issue of control exercised by Italy over allied bases present on its territory.
The minister then clarified: “As for any flights departing from our bases for kinetic activities against Iranian territory, my answer is equally clear, there were none.”
THE MINISTER’S STING
Finally, Crosetto reiterated that the executive acted in compliance with international treaties and rejected opposition accusations.
“The Defense and the Italian government have no problem communicating the data of all departing flights. I said not only those of this year, but also those since 2019… not only those during the Epic Fury period: everything that can be reported to Parliament, I repeat, if not in joint session, perhaps in a parliamentary committee, will be reported. There is nothing the government should be ashamed of.”
The minister thus reiterated: “There is nothing the government should be ashamed of. Pretending nothing happened is something hardly tolerable for those who think politics should have dignity, whether in the majority or in the opposition. Since the government denied authorization, there was a reaction from the other side, so evident that pretending not to see it has nothing to do with politics.”
