Italy Refuses US Bomber Plane for the Timteng to Stop at the Sicilian Air Base

JAKARTA - Italy has denied permission for US military aircraft bound for the Middle East (Timteng) to land at the Sigonella air base.

A source told the Corriere della Sera newspaper that the US bomber wanted to use the air base in Sicily before resuming its flight on a war mission with Iran.

The newspaper was quoted by The Guardian on Tuesday, March 31, saying "several US bombers" were scheduled to land at a base in eastern Sicily before heading to the Middle East. However, it did not specify when they were scheduled to land.

The source, who was not authorized to speak to the media and declined to be named, also did not say how many planes were involved or when Italy refused to grant permission.

The media added that the permit was not granted because the US did not request authorization and the Italian military leadership was not consulted, as required in the agreement governing the use of US military installations in the country.

The Italian defense ministry has not commented on the rejection.

Impartiality towards the US-Israeli war on Iran has also been conveyed by opposition parties in Italy. They asked the Italian Government to block US military efforts to use air bases in Italy in order to avoid involvement in the conflict.

The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that if the US asked for permission in this regard, it would first ask for parliamentary authorization.