{"id":2585733,"date":"2026-03-31T14:32:01","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/italy-refused-us-war-planes-access-to-airbase\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T14:34:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:34:17","slug":"italy-refused-us-war-planes-access-to-airbase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/italy-refused-us-war-planes-access-to-airbase\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy refused US war planes access to airbase"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fitaly-refused-us-war-planes-access-to-airbase%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585733&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Italy refused US war planes access to its Sigonella air base in eastern Sicily because the aircraft did not submit a flight plan in advance and had not sought landing authorization, according to reports cited by Corriere della Sera. Italian Defense Minister guido Crosetto said the move was a standard procedure rather than a political decision, stressing that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-has-now-signed-52-executive-orders-and-actions-in-first-20-days-in-office\/\" title=\"Biden Has Now Signed 52 Executive Orders And Actions In First 20 Days In Office\">international agreements<\/a> require specific government authorization (sometimes involving Parliament) and that bases remain active and in use. He also asserted there is no cooling or tension with the United States, and that the rules governing US presence in Italy as 1954 are well understood by both sides.<\/p>\n<p>The incident occurred against a broader backdrop of tensions over Iran and the gulf region. Trump criticized countries on Truth Social for not participating in actions against Iran. Spain also announced a broad ban on US aircraft using its bases or airspace for operations related to Iran, with Defense Minister Margarita Robles stating that neither bases nor airspace would be authorized for such actions. The Italian government reiterated that requests to use bases are evaluated case by case and that there are no frictions with international partners.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Italy refused US war planes access to airbase, claims &lsquo;no frictions&rsquo; with White House<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2548173\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/italy\/\">Italian<\/a> officials have revealed that the government denied U.S. aircraft use of its Sigonella base in eastern Sicily for operations against Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto denied the planes access to the base last week because their <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/roma.corriere.it\/notizie\/politica\/26_marzo_31\/italia-nega-usa-sigonella-crosetto-86a05dff-9ac6-46cf-b07b-f69fe19c1xlk.shtml\">flight plan was not communicated<\/a> ahead of time and they had not applied for authorization to land, according to <em>Corriere della Sera<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4510322\/kuwaiti-oil-tanker-struck-dubai-port\/\">Kuwaiti oil tanker struck in Dubai port despite Trump warning<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4510392\/russian-oil-tanker-cuba-arrives\/\">Russian oil tanker docks at Cuban port after Trump greenlights entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4510166\/trump-video-of-airstrike-bunker-buster-bombs\/\">Trump shows video of immense blast after US airstrike using bunker buster bombs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-says-there-is-no-timetable-for-war-against-hamas\/\" title=\"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is no &#039;timetable&#039; for war against Hamas\">minister acknowledged<\/a> the situation via social media on Tuesday, but emphasized that the lack of authorization was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/GuidoCrosetto\/status\/2038945070833897586\">standard procedure<\/a>, not a political decision.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;International agreements clearly regulate and distinguish what requires specific Government authorization (for which it has been decided to always involve Parliament), without which it is not possible to grant anything,&rdquo; Crosetto wrote.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto listens as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addresses the Senate regarding the conflict in Iran and the Gulf region, in Rome, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo\/Alessandra Tarantino)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He called reports that Italy has &ldquo;decided to suspend the use of bases&rdquo; for U.S. assets &ldquo;simply false, because the bases are active, in use, and nothing has changed.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Because the aircraft were not carrying out normal or logistical flights, their operations were not covered by the defense treaties between Italy and the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Crosetto added, &ldquo;I want to reiterate that there is no cooling or tension with the U.S., because they know the rules that have governed their presence in Italy since 1954 just as well as we do.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Italian government released a statement the same day reiterating that the country &ldquo;acts in full compliance with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >existing international agreements<\/a> and with the policy guidelines set out by &#8203;the government to parliament.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The statement said requests to use the military bases &ldquo;are examined carefully, on &#8203;a case-by-case basis&rdquo; and added that there are &ldquo;no critical issues or frictions with international partners.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump did not directly comment on the Italian incident, but <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/116323481956698353\">unleashed a tirade<\/a> Tuesday morning on Truth Social against countries that &ldquo;refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/philadelphia-teacher-union-president-disgusted-that-schools-are-reopening\/\" title=\"Philadelphia Teacher Union President \u2018Disgusted\u2019 That Schools Are Reopening\">president told<\/a> those countries that if they are in need of oil following Iran&rsquo;s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, they should &ldquo;build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He added, &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won&rsquo;t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren&rsquo;t there for us.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Spain announced Monday that it was issuing a broad ban on U.S. aircraft seeking to use its military bases for operations in Iran, a conflict <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4479949\/spain-trump-russian-roulette-iran\/\">Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez<\/a> has repeatedly criticized as misguided and unjust.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/medina-spirit-stripped-of-kentucky-derby-title-over-drug-test%ef%bf%bc\/\" title=\"Medina Spirit Stripped of Kentucky Derby Title Over Drug Test\ufffc\">made perfectly clear<\/a> to the American military and forces from the very beginning,&rdquo; Defense Minister Margarita Robles told reporters on Monday. &ldquo;Therefore, neither the bases are authorized, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorized for any actions related to the war in Iran.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/defense\/4510221\/iran-us-israel-strike-desalination-plant-offline-strait-of-hormuz\/\">IRAN SAYS US-ISRAEL STRIKE KNOCKED DESALINATION PLANT OFFLINE IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think everyone knows Spain&rsquo;s position &mdash; it&rsquo;s very clear,&rdquo; she added.<\/p>\n<p>Economic Minister Carlos Cuerpo told radio Cadena Ser the same day that the ban on war planes in Spanish airspace is &ldquo;part of the decision already &#8203;made by the Spanish government not to participate in or contribute &zwnj;to &#8288;a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italy blocks US planes at Sigonella; says no friction<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3468,"featured_media":2585734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26070320734424.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[76892,3817,69279,14683,72913],"class_list":["post-2585733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-airbase-access","tag-diplomacy","tag-international-relations-2","tag-italy","tag-us-military-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26070320734424.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3468"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585733"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585733\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585737,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585733\/revisions\/2585737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}