ROME – Italy has fielded urgent appeals from Gulf states for air defense and anti-drone systems as the Iran-US-Israel war engulfs the region, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto informed lawmakers on Monday.
The conflict has broadened with Israel striking Lebanon over Hezbollah attacks, Iran launching missiles and drones at Gulf nations, and an Iranian drone damaging Britain’s RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. Gulf countries, voicing alarm at the crisis trajectory, seek bolstering of defenses, particularly Italy’s Franco-Italian SAMP/T (MAMBA) battery, capable of tracking dozens of targets and intercepting 10 simultaneously, the only European system handling ballistic missiles.
Crosetto highlighted the bind: Italy already supplies SAMP/T to Ukraine against Russia, leaving stocks “heavily strained” for European priorities. “It’s a delicate issue given limited capabilities and commitments to Ukraine,” he said during a parliamentary hearing, fresh from being stranded in Dubai post-Iran strikes.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani joined Crosetto, labeling the war a direct threat to Italy’s security as Gulf pleas underscore Europe’s strategic tensions.