Italy has denied the United States permission to use a key air base in Sicily for a flight linked to operations in West Asia after determining that no formal authorization had been requested. Media reports said Defense Minister Guido Crosetto intervened after Italian authorities became aware of a U.S. flight plan involving a stop at the Sigonella Air Base before continuing toward the region. Reports said the request did not go through the required approval channels and that the mission did not fall under routine operations covered by existing agreements between Rome and Washington. Under current arrangements, US forces are allowed to use Italian bases for standard logistical and allied activities. However, missions deemed outside that framework require explicit authorization from the Italian government and, in some cases, parliamentary oversight. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has reiterated her support for cooperation with the United States but has also emphasized that Italian sovereignty and legal procedures must be respected. In early March, the Italian Prime Minister said in an interview that her country is not at war and does not intend to enter one. The Sigonella base, located in Sicily, is considered a strategic hub for US and NATO operations in the Mediterranean.

 

Earlier, Spain had closed its airspace to US planes involved in attacks on Iran. Defence Minister Margarita Robles has said that they will not authorise the use of Morón and Rota military bases for any acts related to the war in Iran.

 

Meanwhile, some media reports said that US President Donald Trump is considering ending the US military campaign in Iran, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. This decision would likely extend Tehran’s control over the vital waterway, shifting the focus to diplomatic efforts to reopen it. According to administration officials, the President believes the US can declare victory by achieving its core military goals without being bogged down in a protracted maritime clearance mission.