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
00:12to land at the Singonella Naval Airbase in Sicily
00:15before heading to the Middle East.
00:17The timing of the refusal raised questions
00:19as just one day earlier,
00:21Spain had closed its airspace to U.S. planes
00:24on their way to strike Iran.
00:26Online, some claimed that the decision
00:28was a reflection of Italy's Prime Minister,
00:30Georgian Mellonistans,
00:32against the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
00:35But in reality, it's been taken out of context.
00:38According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra,
00:41the request to land at the base
00:42was sent to Italian authorities
00:44after the aircraft had already taken off from the U.S.
00:47Italian rules require prior authorization
00:50for this type of access.
00:52The United States' use of Italian bases
00:54is governed by bilateral agreements
00:56dating back to 1954.
00:59As Melloni explained earlier this year,
01:01this covered technical authorizations
01:03for logistical and so-called non-kinetic operations,
01:07meaning missions without the use of direct physical force
01:11or explosive violence.
01:13Melloni also stated that there will be no use of the base
01:16outside this agreement,
01:18adding that for any broader requests,
01:20such as the use of Italian bases for combat operations,
01:22the government would evaluate the situation together with Parliament.
01:27A few days after the refusal,
01:29the Italian government reiterated that all requests
01:31are examined on a case-by-case basis,
01:34in line with international agreements and national policy.
01:38It added that there were no critical issues or frictions
01:41with international partners
01:43and described relations with the United States
01:45as solid and based on cooperation.
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