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Italy reacts to Iran's bombing of US bases: Persian Gulf countries have requested air defense systems
2026-03-02 20:28:42 / BOTA
Italy has received requests for air defense and anti-drone systems from Gulf countries embroiled in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told lawmakers on Monday.
The war against Iran is escalating, as Israel has attacked Lebanon in response to attacks by the militant group Hezbollah, Tehran has fired missiles and drones at Gulf states, and an Iranian-made drone has struck a British air base in Cyprus.
"The Gulf countries are expressing strong concern about the evolution of the crisis and have indicated the urgent need to strengthen their defense capabilities, especially air and anti-drone defense," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.
The minister said the requests included SAMP/T, a Franco-Italian battery also known as MAMBA that can track dozens of targets and engage 10 of them at once.
Italy is already supplying Ukraine with SAMP/T systems to help it defend against Russia, so further availability to the Gulf states is difficult.
"It is a very delicate issue, given that these capabilities are already very strained and limited in light of European needs and the support provided so far to Ukraine," Crosetto said at a parliamentary hearing.
Crosetto - who returned on Sunday from Dubai, where he had been stranded with his family after the attack on Iran - spoke to lawmakers alongside Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who said the conflict was a direct threat to Italy's security.
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