03.03.2026 21:35
Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that they are evaluating requests from Gulf countries to procure air defense systems due to the crisis that began with the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran and continued with Iran's retaliations. The country's media suggested that the government is preparing to send a Samp/T battery to the region.
For official contacts, Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, located in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, stated in an interview with the Italian ANSA agency, pointing to Iran's retaliatory attacks on Gulf countries, "Right now, all Gulf countries have asked us for help."
"WE ARE ASSESSING HOW WE CAN ASSIST THEM" Crosetto said, "Italy is evaluating how it can assist them in terms of both the resources that can be provided and the legal framework that will be used. It is being assessed whether this can be done through a decree or in any other way as soon as possible."
In response to the question of whether he is considering allowing the U.S. to use bases in Italy for attacks on Iran, Crosetto stated, "This is not my decision, it is the government's decision. We will respond when they ask us."
Guido Crosetto PREPARATION TO SEND A SAMP/T BATTERY TO THE GULF According to a report from La Repubblica, one of the country's high-circulation newspapers, Italy is preparing to send a Samp/T air defense system, which has been requested by Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), recently targeted by missiles from Iran.
The report stated that a decision needs to be made on whether the battery in question will be sent to Kuwait or the UAE, and approval from the Italian parliament is required for this. It was noted in the report that Italy has 5 Samp/T batteries, one of which is undergoing regular maintenance, one has been sent to Kiev due to the Russia-Ukraine War, one is in Estonia, and if one is sent to the Gulf, Rome will have only one active Samp/T battery left.
U.S.-ISRAEL ATTACKS ON IRAN While negotiations continue between Tehran and Washington, Israel and the U.S. launched a military attack on Iran on February 28. Iran responded with attacks on targets it identified in several regional countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain, where U.S. bases are located, in addition to Israel. In the U.S.-Israel attacks, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with many high-ranking officials, was killed. The Iranian Red Crescent announced that 787 people lost their lives in the U.S.-Israel attacks.