Tajani: Italians stay in Dubai. No consequences for Italian soldiers in Kuwait. Meloni updates Mattarella

"I don't know when he will return, I hope before" 7 March. Tajani said in response to a question about defence minister Guido Crosetto, who is stranded in Dubai due to the suspension of flights, which is scheduled until 7 March. "I personally did not know," Tajani replied to those who asked whether the government was aware of Crosetto's presence in Dubai. "He left earlier," he added, "We were informed by the Israeli government when the attack was underway, Minister Sa'ar called me early yesterday morning when the attack had already begun.

Tajani reported that "we were informed by the Israeli government when the attack" against Iran "was underway", when "the first attack had started. I was called by the minister" of foreign affairs "Gideon Sa'ar to tell me what he was doing and what they were doing together with the Americans in full political and military harmony, so early yesterday morning when the attack had already begun." "It was a long conversation, the aim was to inform Italia of the attack they were carrying out," Tajani added.

"There are no Italian soldiers or Italian civilians involved in any way in the attacks that still continue. Even in Iran there are no Italians who have to leave the country at the moment. Only one has crossed the border into Azerbaijan and was boarded this morning by a flight that will arrive in Malpensa,' Tajani explained.

Tajani will report at 3pm on Monday, 2 March before the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defence committees on developments in the Middle East crisis after the US and Israeli attack on Iran. Tajani said at the press point that he was "ready" to report to Parliament on the crisis in the Middle East and developments after the US and Israeli attack on Iran. On Sunday morning, 1 March, the minister said he had received a call from President Craxi to ask him if he was ready to report to the Foreign Affairs and Defence committees in the Senate. "I gave my availability, so there is no problem," he explained at the press point.

Tajani had also spoken on Saturday 28 February with 'opposition leaders who wanted clarification, they wanted information. Everything we are doing we are telling them minute by minute with the aim above all of reassuring Italian families who have relatives living or travelling' in the Middle East and the Gulf area.

"We are also following," Tajani said, "the situation in Pakistan where there are a lot of demonstrations by Shiites, who represent about 20 per cent of the population. There was an attack on the US embassy that was repelled by the Marines, but there are victims there too, so the situation is heated. But there are no problems of our compatriots in Pakistan'.

The "Gulf Task Force" is "made up of 50 people" who "answer the phones directly and follow and coordinate the work of all our embassies in the area" the Gulf Task Force set up at the Farnesina by the Directorate General for Italians Abroad with the Crisis Unit to "assist in the best possible way all Italians living or passing through, tourists or not", in the Middle East and the Gulf area. Tajani explained that the task force answers the same number (0636225) as the Crisis Unit, "but with a switchboard that sorts" calls. 'We try to reach our compatriots in every way,' he added. 'It is clear that there are tens of thousands of calls that arrive at the Ministry, the work is quite complicated. There are those who have special cases, those who ask for information to leave. We try to manage the situation as best we can. We are also trying to assist those who need medication. So the meeting this morning was very operational."

The task force created by Minister Tajani will strengthen - as explained in a note issued by the Farnesina - the work of the Crisis Unit and will support the efforts of embassies and consulates in the region to deal with the thousands of requests for assistance from the thousands of citizens stranded in the Gulf countries.

The Italia government,' the note continues, 'has welcomed the cooperation that the Gulf governments and their airlines are offering to stranded citizens, first and foremost by offering assistance with hotel accommodation.

The embassy in the Emirates and the embassy in Qatar managed to move all waiting passengers from the airports to hotels. There are currently no plans to reopen the airports.

"I thanked the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, for guaranteeing security and assistance to all Italians in Qatar," Italy's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Antonio Tajani, reported on social media. "I expressed gratitude and solidarity to them for the attacks they are also suffering at this time from Iran," added the head of Italian diplomacy, "Our embassy in Doha, our diplomats and officials follow all our compatriots. Our thoughts also go out to our military personnel engaged in the Al Udeid base".

"The Italian government cannot remain crushed by the US administration or it will irreparably damage the diplomatic role that Italia has always played and which is recognised by all players in the region". Thus PD secretary Elly Schlein. "Trump only a few days ago convened the Board of Peace with which he intends to replace the UN and then decides alone together with Netanyahu where and how to strike - she explained -. He said he would put an end to the conflicts, and instead he produces chaos and opens the way to a dangerous spiral of war with unpredictable consequences on the whole region and also on the fragile truce in Gaza. Meloni does not intervene, yet the friendship she claims with Trump did not prevent him from not warning her of the attack, to the extent of having our Defence Minister stranded in Dubai". "We call on the government," Schlein concluded, "to do everything possible for the safety and swift return of our compatriots stranded in the area and to work in all multilateral fora for an immediate ceasefire, to resume the diplomatic path and avert a widening of the war with incalculable consequences."