Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni launches a new alarm on the international situation and the repercussions of tensions in the Middle East, in an interview with TG5 which will be broadcast this evening. At the center of his declarations, the crisis of international law, the conflict with Iran and the safety of Italians abroad.
“A season of chaos after the war in Ukraine”
“I am worried about the general context, a crisis of international law which is inevitably the result of the war in Ukraine: when a member of the United Nations Security Council deliberately attacked his neighbor it was inevitable that it would lead to a season of chaos”, says the prime minister. Meloni therefore identifies the origin of a broader destabilization of global balances in Russian aggression against Ukraine, underlining how the violation of international rules by a permanent member of the Security Council has undermined the entire multilateral system.
Italians blocked in the Gulf and tensions with Iran
The Prime Minister then confirms the government’s commitment to assisting compatriots caught up in the tensions in the Middle East. «Currently the government is committed to providing assistance to the thousands of Italians who have remained stranded, particularly in the Gulf countries. We are in contact with those countries, we are in contact with our European partners.” The objective, he explains, is to avoid a regional escalation: “Obviously the crisis does not spread, but I think that nothing can get better if Iran does not stop its attacks against the Gulf countries which are totally unjustified.”
The Iranian nuclear issue
Meloni reiterates the Italian line on the nuclear dossier: «It would be stupid to believe that what happens far from our borders does not involve us. It is the reason why Italy worked hard to reach a serious agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue, particularly at a time when international law is wavering.” The prime minister underlines her concern about the risk that Tehran could equip itself with strategic weapons: “We cannot afford the current Iranian regime to have long-range missiles with atomic warheads.” However, he observes, the diplomatic attempt was unsuccessful: “After that that agreement failed and the United States and Israel decided to attack without the involvement of their European partners.” A passage that also highlights a fracture in the Western management of the crisis.
Crosetto’s role
Finally, Meloni responds to the controversy over the absence of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto from Italy in the first hours of the attack by the United States and Israel against Iran. “Look, I can tell you that Minister Crosetto has never stopped doing his job,” assures the prime minister.
“I put together an institutional commitment with a family one and I decided not to burden the state coffers, I could have started with the institutional commitment and then stopped to spend a few days of holiday with my family. Instead I left as a private individual, I did what I had to do at an institutional level and then I returned.” This was reiterated by the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, speaking about his trip to Dubai at the end of the briefing which took place in the Senate. And pressed by journalists on what his institutional commitment was, Crosetto replied: “The minister of the Emirates has already said it in a press release. In your opinion, I said that ‘if Italy was attacked it would be in danger and are you really asking me this?’
The first flight with Italians returning from Oman took place at Fiumicino
The first charter flight with 127 Italians stranded in Oman or transiting on board, with coordinated assistance from the Farnesina and the Embassies in Abu Dhabi and Muscat, from the United Arab Emirates to Oman, arrived at Fiumicino airport. The Boeing 737, which departed from Muscat and operated by the Oman Air company, landed at 9.26pm. Travelers are expected to disembark at Terminal 3 in a few minutes. As reported by the Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, late yesterday evening a group of 98 people transited from the United Arab Emirates to Oman. The wife of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, Gaia Saponaro, also returned on the same flight, accompanied by her children, who had been in the United Arab Emirates for the last few days. From what has been learned, it has already left the Roman port.