Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has delivered her harshest criticism yet of the US-Israeli war on Iran, calling it a growing and dangerous trend of intervention outside the scope of international law, Reuters reported.
Her comments came after the opposition accused the right-wing government of being too soft on its allies. Most European countries (except Spain, which has not allowed the Americans to use its military bases to attack Iran) have avoided direct criticism of the US and Israel, urging caution.
Meloni, who is politically close to US President Donald Trump, has also stressed that Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, as that would undermine international non-aggression pacts and have dramatic consequences for security around the world.
The hostilities in Iran are continuing for the twelfth day, and the conflict has halted oil and natural gas exports
from Middle Eastern countries, as shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is suspended. Addressing parliament, Meloni drew parallels between Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the conflict in the Middle East, noting that both situations have caused international instability.
Meloni said that Rome is offering air defenses to Gulf states affected by Iran’s retaliatory strikes. She stressed that this is not only helping friendly countries and Italy’s strategic partners, but also protecting thousands of Italian citizens living in the affected countries, in addition to the fact that around 2,000 Italian soldiers are also serving in the Persian Gulf.
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