Italy is providing military support to its allies in the Gulf region following Iran's attacks against the US and Israel. According to Defense Ministry data, approximately 400 Italian air force personnel have been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain since March.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto rejected opposition criticism over the military presence, saying the legal and operational framework of the mission had been presented to parliament "with the utmost transparency." Crosetto said, "The information was already public and available."
The deployed unit includes four Eurofighter jets tasked with helping to defend the assigned airspace. The Defense Ministry's website lists the assets as also including air defense radars and an anti-drone system.
However, center-left Democratic Party lawmakers accused the government of acting outside the scope of the mandate approved for overseas military missions and of not obtaining parliamentary authorization. The opposition claimed the decision to send troops to Saudi Arabia was taken without parliamentary approval.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government had stated it was supporting Gulf allies that came under Iranian retaliatory attacks after the US and Israeli strikes. The government said partner countries in the region had requested air defense and anti-drone support.
The extent of Italy's military presence in the Gulf was brought to the agenda this week by Il Giornale newspaper. The newspaper claimed that up to 700 troops had been sent to the region and that the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense system had been deployed to Saudi Arabia. The Defense Ministry did not confirm these claims, emphasizing that official data pointed to 400 personnel.
Prime Minister Meloni had visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in April as the first European leader to travel to the Gulf following the outbreak of the conflict.
