Italy’s Supreme Defence Council expressed “grave concern” on Friday over the escalating conflict in the Middle East following the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel. The council, chaired by President Sergio Mattarella, met at the Quirinal Palace in Rome to assess the international situation and the effects of the crisis across the Middle East and Mediterranean.
In its final statement, the council said it had analysed “the serious destabilising effects this crisis is having on the entire Middle East and Mediterranean region”. Participants in the meeting included Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, senior ministers and Italy’s defence and security chiefs.
The council warned that the widening conflict is unfolding amid a broader weakening of the international order centred on the United Nations.
It noted “with concern that the crisis in the international order, centred on the UN, with the multiplication of unilateral initiatives, weakens the multilateral system”, while also acknowledging security concerns linked to the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons and the need to ensure the safety of Israel and its citizens.
The body also condemned what it described as repression by the Iranian regime.
Italy will not join war
Despite the rising tensions, the council reaffirmed that Italy will not take part in the war. “For all these reasons, Italy is not and will not participate in the war, as the Prime Minister reiterated in Parliament,” the statement said.
The council also invoked Article 11 of the Constitution of Italy, which states that Italy rejects war as a means of resolving international disputes. It stressed that attacks on civilians are unacceptable, referring in particular to the destruction of a girls’ school in the Iranian city of Minab during the first day of the conflict, which reportedly killed large numbers of children.
Use of Italian bases
The council also approved the use of Italian facilities by allied countries within the limits of existing international agreements.
It noted that parliament had already expressed its position on requests from allied states for assistance and on the possible use of military infrastructure on Italian territory made available to US forces. Any requests that go beyond the activities already covered by those agreements will be submitted to parliament for approval, the council said.
The government has also prioritised the safety of Italian citizens in the region and the protection of Italian troops deployed on missions authorised by parliament across the Middle East and the Gulf.
Tensions in Lebanon
The Supreme Defence Council also examined the situation in Lebanon, where clashes involving Hezbollah risk drawing the country deeper into the conflict. The council called on Israel to avoid disproportionate reactions while condemning Hezbollah’s actions that had dragged Lebanon into what it described as another dramatic confrontation.
It also warned of serious violations of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and criticised repeated attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, currently commanded by Italy.
According to the council, the expansion of the conflict could open the door to hybrid warfare and further destabilising actions by terrorist organisations, increasing the risks for the wider Mediterranean region where Italy has significant strategic interests.
