Italy Confirms Air Force Deployment to Gulf

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has rejected opposition criticism over the deployment of troops and military equipment to countries in the Persian Gulf. He said the government informed Parliament about the mission in a transparent manner and that its legal and operational framework had been made public.

According to the defense ministry, Italy has deployed about 400 air force personnel to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain since March. The deployment followed Iranian attacks on the three countries in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The contingent includes four Eurofighter jets tasked with helping protect the countries' airspace.

The opposition Democratic Party argues that the government should have sought parliamentary approval for the mission because, in its view, Saudi Arabia is not covered by the existing mandate for overseas military operations. Crosetto rejected the criticism, saying all relevant information had been published on the defense ministry's website.

The Italian government said partner countries in the region had requested assistance with air defense and protection against drones following Iran's retaliatory attacks. Newspaper Il Giornale reported that Italy may have deployed as many as 700 troops to the region.

The defense ministry confirmed the deployment of air defense radars and a counter drone system, but did not mention the SAMP/T air defense system, which Il Giornale reported had been sent to Saudi Arabia.

(Reuters, Lud)