[REVISION HISTORY]
Italy's expanding Middle East and North Africa presence
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2026-07-30 06:21 UTC → 2026-07-30 23:53 UTC ·
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In late July 2026 Italy announced a series of moves to deepen its role across the Middle East and North Africa. On 22 July the foreign ministry said Italy would host a new round of Israel‑Lebanon talks and highlighted its ongoing UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon, anti‑ISIS training with the Peshmerga in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, and air‑base support in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, while committing to raise defence spending to 5 % of GDP by 2035. A week later, on 29 July, the Italian Chamber of Deputies approved a comprehensive 2026 mission to Libya. The plan expands the Libya, expanding both military and civilian contingent, adds funding, contingents, adding new vehicles and aircraft, and widens widening cooperation with Tunisia and NATO partners. Together, On 30 July the announcements illustrate Italy’s broader strategy Ministry of increasing diplomatic engagement Defence revealed that about 400 Air Force personnel would be sent to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and security assistance throughout Bahrain as part of a new Task Force Air‑Arabia. The deployment includes Eurofighter jets, an E‑550A airborne early‑warning platform, radar units, an anti‑drone system and an air‑defence battery, alongside a land component of roughly 300 troops. Parliamentarians have questioned the wider region, linking its Mediterranean‑North‑African commitments with its Middle‑East initiatives. legal basis for the Saudi deployment, noting it is not listed in the mission authorisation approved by parliament.
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- 2026-07-30 23:53 UTC Italy's expanding Middle East and North Africa presence
- 2026-07-30 06:21 UTC Italy's expanding Middle East and North Africa presence
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