Allies Deny Passage to US Military Flights Over Iran Tensions
Amid military tensions with Iran, Italy and France have successively denied US military aircraft passage through their airspace and use of their bases, sparking curiosity about the reasons behind these decisions.
Italy denied US military aircraft permission to land at the Sigonella Air Base located on the island of Sicily. The direct cause was reportedly the US attempting to use the base without seeking prior approval from Rome. France also appears to have denied passage through its airspace to aircraft transporting military supplies to Israel, with President Trump directly mentioning this fact. Spain has closed its entire airspace to US military aircraft deployed for operations in Iran. The Spanish Minister of Defense stated in parliament that "the use of the Rota and Morón bases was prohibited, and flight permits to support operations in Iran were not granted." However, he emphasized that these decisions are limited to operations concerning Iran and do not signify a complete break from NATO or the overall relationship with the United States.
John Hemming, Director of the National Security Centre at the Henry Jackson Society, a foreign policy think tank headquartered in London, interpreted the situation as a signal of a structural crisis within the Atlantic alliance. Hemming said, "Italy's blocking of airspace passage and base use for aircraft involved in the Iran conflict is a sign of the simmering Atlantic crisis erupting to the surface," adding, "The political and military authority of the United States has hit rock bottom in Europe." He particularly noted that the departure of even Italy, whose Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is known as 'Trump's echo' and was the only European leader to attend Trump's inauguration, is a more serious indicator.
The Italian government issued an official statement denying reports of a rupture. The Italian government reiterated, "Regarding media reports concerning the use of military bases, Italy confirms that it is acting in full compliance with existing international agreements and government policy guidelines," and stated, "The relationship with the United States is solid and based on complete and loyal cooperation."