00:00Why did Italy deny U.S. bombers access to an Italian airbase?
00:08Last week, Italy refused a request for U.S. military aircraft to land at the Cinganella Naval Air Base in
00:14Sicily,
00:15before heading to the Middle East.
00:17The timing of the refusal raised questions, as just one day earlier,
00:21Spain had closed its airspace to U.S. planes on their way to strike Iran.
00:26Online, some claim that the decision was a reflection of Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Mellonistans
00:31against the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
00:34But in reality, it's been taken out of context.
00:38According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera,
00:41the request to land at the base was sent to Italian authorities
00:44after the aircraft had already taken off from the U.S.
00:47Italian rules require prior authorization for this type of access.
00:52The United States' use of Italian bases is governed by bilateral agreements,
00:56dating back to 1954.
00:59As Melloni explained earlier this year,
01:01this covered technical authorizations for logistical and so-called non-kinetic operations,
01:07meaning missions without the use of direct physical force or explosive violence.
01:13Melloni also stated that there will be no use of the base outside this agreement,
01:17adding that for any broader request, such as the use of Italian bases for combat operations,
01:23the government would evaluate the situation together with Parliament.
01:26A few days after the refusal,
01:29the Italian government reiterated that all requests are examined on a case-by-case basis,
01:34in line with international agreements and national policy.
01:37It added that there were no critical issues or frictions with international partners
01:43and described relations with the United States as solid and based on cooperation.
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