The Italian government denied the United States permission to use the Sigonella air base in Sicily on the night of Friday, March 27. The decision was made by Defense Minister Guido Crosetto after it emerged that several U.S. aircraft had included a stop at the Sicilian base in their flight plans before heading to the Middle East.
However, no formal authorization had been requested, nor had Italian military authorities been consulted. According to reports, the plan was communicated only after the aircraft were already in flight. Further checks revealed that these were not routine or logistical flights, meaning they were not covered under existing agreements between Italy and the United States. That there was no negative reaction or protest from the U.S. administration.
A statement from Palazzo Chigi reaffirmed that Italy acts in full compliance with international agreements and government guidelines approved by Parliament. Each request for the use of military bases is evaluated carefully on a case-by-case basis, as has always been the practice. The note also stressed that there are no tensions with international partners and that relations with the United States remain strong and based on loyal cooperation.
Crosetto emphasized that there was “no rift, no incident, nothing problematic.” He also recalled that Parliament recently ruled out allowing Italian bases to support operations involving direct military action against Iran. He rejected claims that Italy had suspended U.S. access to its bases, calling them false, and reiterated that all decisions strictly follow established agreements and parliamentary commitments.
This episode over the U.S. use of the Sigonella air base in Sicily have revived memories of a historic clash between Italy and the United States. In October 1985, then–Prime Minister Bettino Craxi openly defied Washington in what became known as the “Sigonella crisis.”
The incident followed the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro by Palestinian militants. After negotiations, the hijackers were allowed to leave Egypt on a plane, but U.S. forces intercepted the aircraft and forced it to land at Sigonella. American special forces then attempted to take custody of the suspects.
Craxi refused to hand them over. He argued that, since the crime had taken place on an Italian ship, Italy had jurisdiction. Italian military police and Carabinieri surrounded the U.S. Delta Force troops on the runway, leading to a tense standoff with weapons drawn.
The crisis was resolved without violence, but it marked one of the most serious diplomatic confrontations between the two allies in the postwar era.
