Meloni Distances Italy from US-Israel Iran Strikes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni distanced her country from the United States and Israel's military intervention in Iran during a speech to the Italian Senate on Wednesday, stating that the strikes violated international law and that Italy would not participate in the conflict.

Meloni, addressing lawmakers amid the escalating Middle East war now in its 12th day, described the U.S. and Israeli actions as part of a broader crisis in the international order, drawing parallels to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "It is in this context of structural crisis in the international system, in which threats are becoming increasingly frightening and unilateral interventions outside the scope of international law are multiplying, that we must also place the American and Israeli intervention against the Iranian regime," she said. She emphasized that Italy was not at war and had no intention of entering one, adding that any potential U.S. request to use Italian military bases would depend on compliance with existing agreements and international law.

The prime minister also expressed strong concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, calling them a direct threat to Europe. "We cannot afford...