28.02.2026 17:53
Following the attacks launched by the US and Israel on Iran in the early hours, a notable assessment came from Italy. Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that this war will not end quickly, warning that "It is a difficult and complex situation. This will not be a lightning war; it will last for days."
The large-scale military operation initiated by the US and Israel against Iran has escalated tensions in the Middle East, while statements are coming in succession from Europe. As an emergency security summit is convened in Rome, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that the conflicts will not end quickly, saying, "This will not be a lightning war." The Italian government emphasized that the priority is the safety of Italian citizens and soldiers in the region while preparing to increase diplomatic contacts according to the developments.
After the attacks launched by the US and Israel against Iran this morning, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, "The situation is complex, and this will not be a lightning war; it will last for days."
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUMMIT IN ROME
Due to the attacks initiated by the US and Israel against Iran, Minister Tajani attended a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the morning, and later made evaluations to Italian press members at the Foreign Ministry, where he is following the crisis.
Tajani stated, "This is a difficult and complex situation. This will not be a lightning war; it will last for days. The goal is to neutralize the military capacity of Iran, which poses the greatest danger to Israel and American bases in the region."
Stating that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar informed him before the attack against Iran, Tajani said, "He told me what the target of the war and the attack was. They expressed that they see a real intention from Iran to continue its atomic project and to increase missile production, including longer-range missiles. They even mentioned missiles that could hit all of Europe."
"EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON IRAN"
Claiming that everything depends on Iran after the attacks initiated by the US and Israel, Tajani continued his remarks:
"There were explosions in the United Arab Emirates, and they closed the airspace for a week. Therefore, there is a worrying atmosphere. Everything depends on Iran. If Iran wants to expand the war, it truly faces the risk of global isolation and could encounter a very harsh response. We hope the situation does not worsen."
Tajani stated that so far, no Italian citizens have been harmed in Iran and the Gulf region, and he expressed:
"The Italian Air Force soldiers stationed at the base in Kuwait, which was hit by missiles from Iran, are completely safe; they were all in the shelter. The runway was seriously damaged, but there are no injured Italian soldiers. An attack was also carried out on the 5th Fleet Command, but no Italian civilians or soldiers have been involved in these incidents in the region."
"ITALIAN SOLDIERS ARE SAFE"
Tajani shared that there are more than 300 Italian soldiers at the base hit in Kuwait, but there is no problem for them, saying, "Our soldiers are safe, including those in Lebanon, Jordan, and the Gendarmerie units in Jericho. In summary, there is currently no serious alarm situation for our citizens, especially for our soldiers. However, of course, the situation is difficult and complex; this will not be a lightning war."
In response to the question of what the European Union (EU) can do in this crisis, Tajani replied:
"What can Europe do? We can only work to support the de-escalation of tensions, but the situation has now spiraled out of control. There is not much that can be done other than trying to secure European citizens and continuing to pressure for a diplomatic solution. A diplomatic solution could be found if Iran decides to effectively halt its nuclear ambitions and stop the production of missiles that could hit Israel, American bases, and parts of the West. In my opinion, this is the only way to stop the war."
ITALY'S PRIORITY IS THE SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENS
A written statement from the Prime Ministry indicated that Giorgia Meloni held an emergency meeting with deputy prime ministers, the defense minister, and senior officials of intelligence agencies to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East.
The statement included the following expressions:
"In the meeting, the situation was discussed in general terms, and the priority was given to the safety of Italian citizens in the Middle East. The government calls on all citizens to exercise maximum caution and to carefully follow the warnings issued by the Italian embassies in the region and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
During this particularly difficult period, Italy once again expresses its closeness to the Iranian civilian population, which continues to courageously demand respect for its civil and political rights. The Prime Minister will be in contact with key allies and regional leaders in the coming hours to support any initiatives that could contribute to reducing tensions."
FLIGHT SERVICES SUSPENDED
In a written statement from Italy's flag carrier airline ITA Airways, it was reported that in light of the current situation in the Middle East, ITA has suspended its Rome-Tel Aviv and Tel Aviv-Rome flights until March 7.
ITA Airways also announced that it will not use the airspaces of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Iran until March 7, and noted that it has suspended flights to and from Dubai until March 1 for operational reasons.
US AND ISRAEL'S ATTACKS ON IRAN
While the negotiation process between Iran and the US continues, Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran in the morning.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that it has initiated a "preventive attack" against Iran. US President Donald Trump also announced that they have launched a "major operation" against Iran.
As part of the attacks, the capital Tehran, Isfahan, Karaj, Qom, Tabriz, Shiraz, Bushehr, Kermanshah, and Ilam were targeted.
As Israel and Iran closed their airspace, a state of emergency was declared throughout Israel, and sirens were sounded. Warnings were issued directing the Israeli public to shelters before Iran's counterattacks.
The Iranian army announced that it has launched counterattacks against Israel with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones in response to the attacks by the US and Israel.
Iran targeted simultaneous US bases in countries such as Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan with missile attacks, while the US naval base in Bahrain was hit.