Italian lawmakers demand answers on US flights from Aviano base to Iran

Sebastiano Badin, regional secretary of the Italian Left in Friuli‑Venezia Giulia, announced that Alliance Greens and the Left will interrogate Defence Minister Guido Crosetto during the Chamber's question time on 1 July. Badin refers to NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte’s claim that 500 U.S. aircraft took off from Italian bases to support an American operation against Iran, a statement the Ministry of Defence denied, saying Italy authorised only technical and logistical activities, not kinetic missions.

Crosetto said he can provide details of each authorised flight, while Badin argued that any sortie beyond the NATO perimeter, such as those to Iran, requires explicit Italian approval. He called for Rutte’s resignation and warned that “we cannot allow flights of death from Aviano, an Italian military base, in a war of aggression contrary to international law.” Badin urged the government to ensure transparency over the use of NATO bases on Italian soil.