Italy Denies US Military Aircraft Permission to Land at Sigonella Base for Iran War

Italy's Defence Minister Guido Crosetto denied several United States military aircraft permission to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily a few days ago, blocking flights that were bound for the Middle East in connection with the ongoing war in Iran, informed sources confirmed to ANSA on Tuesday, corroborating a report by the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The refusal came after Italian authorities discovered the aircraft's flight plans — which included a stopover at Sigonella before continuing toward the Middle East — only after the planes were already airborne, with no prior request for authorization or consultation with Italian military leadership. Chief of Defence Staff General Luciano Portolano contacted Crosetto directly to inform him of the situation and seek a decision. Portolano then communicated the denial to the US command, making clear the aircraft could not land at Sigonella because no authorization had been obtained and no prior consultation had taken place. The Italian government has maintained since the start of the Iran war that US forces may continue using Italian bases for normal operations and logistics flights under the existing bilateral treaty, but any use beyond that scope requires parliamentary approval.

Procedural breach and treaty limits drove the decision Checks conducted by the Italian Defence Staff confirmed that the flights in question did not qualify as ordinary logistical missions, which are the category automatically covered by bilateral agreements between Italy and the United States. According to reporting by Corriere della Sera, the aircraft were also subject to operational limitations — known in military parlance as "caveats" — that prevent the use of allied bases outside well-defined conditions, except in emergencies, further reinforcing the Italian position. The combination of procedural irregularity and the operational nature of the flights left Crosetto with no legal basis to grant authorization retroactively. Premier Giorgia Meloni and Crosetto had both stated publicly, following the outbreak of hostilities against Iran on February 28, 2026, that any use of Italian bases beyond normal operations would require a vote in parliament. The decision was kept secret for several days before being confirmed on March 31. No official statement from the US government on the incident was immediately available, according to Berliner Zeitung.

Spain had already closed its bases and airspace to Iran war flights Italy's refusal fits a broader pattern of European resistance to US military operations tied to the Iran war. Spain had already prohibited the use of its military bases for attacks on Iran at the beginning of March 2026, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez describing the military strikes as a violation of international law. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated on the radio station Cadena Ser that Spain's opposition to the war remained clear and unequivocal. Madrid subsequently tightened its position further, blocking its airspace for military flights connected to operations against Iran, affecting US aircraft as well as those of other NATO states. According to the Spanish newspaper El País, these restrictions forced the US military to reroute aircraft and relocate them to other locations, including bases in Great Britain and Germany. US President Donald Trump responded publicly by raising the prospect of economic consequences for Spain, saying at the White House that the United States could end all business with Spain if Madrid did not change its position, according to Berliner Zeitung.

Sigonella's history as a flashpoint between Rome and Washington The Sigonella base has previously been at the centre of a diplomatic dispute between Italy and the United States. According to Tgcom24, as early as 1985, when Bettino Craxi served as Prime Minister and Ronald Reagan as US President, the base was the focal point of a diplomatic crisis. The current incident underscores that Rome insists on being consulted in advance before military operations are conducted from its territory, even by its closest allies. The Iran war, which began on February 28, 2026, following coordinated US and Israeli strikes, has placed European NATO members under growing pressure to define the limits of their cooperation with Washington's military campaign. Italy's move signals that Washington cannot automatically count on the support of European partners for its actions in the Middle East, as government circles in Rome made clear, according to Berliner Zeitung.

The Sigonella base has been a sensitive point in US-Italian relations for decades. In 1985, a standoff between Italian and US forces at the base — following the hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro — led to a diplomatic crisis between Rome and Washington under Prime Minister Bettino Craxi. The current Iran war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel carried out coordinated strikes against Iranian territory. Italy and Spain are both NATO members, and the alliance's collective defence framework does not automatically obligate members to support offensive operations conducted outside NATO's formal command structure.