War, latest news. Iran accuses Italia following Rutte’s comments. Aragchi speaks to Tajani

‘I agree with every word Minister Crosetto has said over the past day or so. We did not take part in the conflict in Iran. After all, if we had taken part in the conflict in Iran, it would be difficult to explain, shall we say, this disappointment that the US President has expressed so often. We have honoured our commitments by making our bases available for activities that were not kinetic but of a logistical and technical nature. And when requests were made that went beyond that scope, we did not grant permission or authorisation – as I repeat, this is widely known. So the government has done exactly what it told Parliament it would do, as Mark Rutte himself confirmed yesterday from the Oval Office.’ So said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Foreign ministers from the Gulf states and the United States have stated that negotiations with the Ayatollahs must also address Tehran’s ‘proxies’ and Iran’s missile programme. “The ministers emphasised that lasting regional peace and security require addressing the full spectrum of threats posed by Iran, including its ballistic missiles, drones and support for allied groups (proxies) in the region”, they stated in a joint communiqué issued at the conclusion of a meeting co-chaired by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.

Iran has called for “an explicit and official denial by the Italian government of the statements” made by the NATO Secretary-General regarding the United States’ use of Italian bases in operations against Iran. This is stated in a press release issued by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs following today’s meeting between Minister Abbas Araghchi and the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, which states that Tajani “categorically rejected the recent statements by the NATO Secretary-General regarding the alleged use of Italian military bases by the United States in military operations against Iran”. Araghchi “welcomed the telephone call and the clarification provided by his Italian counterpart, whilst emphasising the need for an explicit and official denial of the statements by the Italian government”.

A merchant ship has been damaged off the coast of Oman, in the Strait of Hormuz, after being struck by an unidentified projectile. The British maritime agency UKMTO announced this, stating that there were no casualties. “A merchant ship was struck on the starboard side by an unidentified projectile, which caused damage to the bridge. The captain reported that there were no casualties and no environmental impact,” said UK Maritime Trade Operations. The vessel was struck 7.5 nautical miles, equivalent to 14 kilometres, south-east of Dahit, in Oman.

Iraq has considered the idea of leaving OPEC if the group of oil-producing nations does not allow Baghdad to significantly increase its oil production. According to sources speaking to Reuters, Iraq’s potential withdrawal would deal a severe blow to OPEC, which saw the United Arab Emirates leave the organisation less than two months ago. The country relies on oil for the bulk of its revenue, which has fallen since the war with Iran effectively blocked exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior official at the Iraqi Ministry of Oil told Reuters today that the government is facing a financial crisis as a result of the war and that a significant increase in the OPEC quota should be given serious consideration.

Three people were killed and one was injured following an Israeli attack that targeted a Honda CR-V on the road between Zawtar and Mayfadoun, in southern Lebanon. This was reported by the Lebanese news agency NNA.

“On Tuesday, in a targeted strike in the Khan Younis area, the IDF eliminated the terrorist Adam Muhammad Ibrahim Abu Hadid, commander of the weapons production centre of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation.” This was announced by the IDF spokesperson in a statement, adding that “Abu Hadid was involved in various stages of the production process and oversaw the infrastructure used to manufacture further weapons intended to attack Israeli troops and civilians.”

“I spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Araghchi. Italy has never taken part in any military initiative and has never authorised the use of its bases for acts of war against Iran, in strict compliance with the treaties with the United States.” So said Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on X. “I have called for the Strait of Hormuz to be fully reopened,” he added, “to facilitate the passage of all Italian cargo ships still blocked there. The reopening of the Italian embassy in Tehran is a strong signal of dialogue, not least with a view to the resumption of economic and cultural relations.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that President Donald Trump is “very angry” with Italy and other countries over their stance on the Iranian crisis. “We will work on this issue together with Italy,” he assured, however. These remarks come at an already delicate time, following the controversy over US bases in Italy. The issue had already come to the fore during Rubio’s visit to Rome on 8 May, when the Secretary of State had called on European allies, including Italia, to move from words to deeds against Tehran and to support US efforts in the Strait of Hormuz. Today, Rubio is in the Gulf to reassure regional allies regarding the framework of the preliminary agreement between the United States and Iran. Rubio went on to add that “the agreements with Italia will be signed” and that he had spoken “last Friday” with his Italian counterpart.

The US Secretary of State’s remarks.

“The Iranian regime is led by radical clerics. It has always been this way and continues to be so,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today at a press conference in Bagrein, emphasising that this is “a fact”.

“That said, we must also deal with the geopolitical aspects of this situation. If they have changed their mindset, or if they have altered their approach towards the United States and their neighbours, then we will give this opportunity a chance to work,” Rubio went on to say, adding that “perhaps something has changed. I’m not saying that’s happened; I’m saying that the President wants to find out if that is indeed the case.”

Defence Minister Israel Katz, speaking at the ‘Economic Campaign’ conference organised by the Counter-Terrorism Command, referred to the war against Iran: “Every dollar that reaches Iran is a dollar that could end up in the hands of Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other terrorist groups”. Therefore, “we must not be content with what we have achieved so far”.

Oman has reaffirmed its responsibility, as a coastal state, to uphold maritime security in accordance with international law, but has emphasised that no transit fees will be imposed in the Strait of Hormuz. The statement was made by the Omani Foreign Minister, according to Oman’s state news agency, as reported by Al-Jazeera. The minister spoke during the joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the US Secretary of State, held today in Bahrain. Oman expressed its support for the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran and stated that it is important for restoring peace and ensuring the safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

This is an event celebrated throughout the Islamic world to commemorate the day on which God saved Moses and his people from the Pharaoh of Egypt by miraculously parting the waters of the sea. In the Shia world, however, it has a distinctly mournful character (and forms part of the Muharram commemorations).

To this original significance, the Shia add the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī and his 72 followers at the hands of the troops of the Umayyad Caliph Yazīd I. The massacre took place on the 10th of the month of Muharram in the year 40 AH, and the period of mourning for this event among the Shia lasts 40 days.

Ragazze musulmane sciite portano zaini scolastici in memoria delle vittime dell’attentato dinamitardo contro una scuola femminile a Minab, in Iran, durante un corteo funebre in occasione dell’Ashura, il giorno più sacro del calendario musulmano sciita, a Istanbul, in Turchia, il 25 giugno 2026. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

The long-distance row between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and the Meloni government over at least 500 US aircraft which, as the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands has reported, took off from American bases in Italia to support the US operation ‘Epic Fury’ against Iran, has once again brought the issue of the US presence on Italian soil into the spotlight. Italia is home to some of the most important logistical and strategic installations in the entire Euro-Mediterranean region.

Whilst the US has announced its intention to reduce its presence within NATO, including at the military level, and the NATO summit in Ankara on 7 and 8 July is expected to provide an opportunity to formally present the new structure to the Alliance’s partners, Italian bases are not expected to be affected by this downsizing. On 15 June, the Defence Minister Guido Crosetto met with the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon in Washington. At the end of the face-to-face meeting, the Italian Defence Minister summarised what had emerged during the talks and confided that he had not sensed any intention on the part of the United States to withdraw from its bases in Italy. “On the contrary, from a bilateral and NATO perspective, cooperation with us is, in some ways, very important to the United States,” he explained whilst speaking to the media at the embassy in Washington. As for a US withdrawal from Europe, Crosetto explained that this is a plan the Americans have been discussing for years: a reduced commitment. “Assets that they could withdraw from Europe and which could easily be replaced by European assets.”

A Liberian oil tanker has managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz despite threats from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, using a new route near the coast of Oman recommended by the United Nations International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The passage of the Stoic Warrior and the threats come at a time of growing tension between Iran and the United States over the terms of the provisional agreement aimed at bringing the war to a definitive end.

A 32-year-old Palestinian, Mustafa Taha Mustafa al Khatib, was killed today by Israeli forces at his home in the village of Sarta, near Salfit, in the West Bank. This is according to Palestinian sources.

According to sources, Israeli soldiers raided the village in the early hours of the morning and opened fire on al-Khatib whilst he was at home. They added that the body had not been recovered by the army.

The Israeli armed forces have denied reports of a partial withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as reported by sources at the US State Department: this is according to *The Times of Israel*.

The US Ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, who is part of the delegation taking part in the talks in Washington between Lebanon and Israel, told the Lebanese broadcaster Al Jadeed: “The IDF’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon will take place, but not today”. “The atmosphere at the talks is positive; pilot areas (in southern Lebanon) will be selected, and future decisions will be taken at the end of Thursday’s meeting,” he added.

Israel has withdrawn from part of the buffer zone in southern Lebanon. This has been reported by the Israeli media, citing an American source from Reuters. An official from the US State Department stated that Israel is withdrawing from certain areas of the security zone ‘as a gesture of goodwill towards the Lebanese government’, adding that the Lebanese army will re-establish a presence in these areas. A source at the Israeli public broadcaster Kan has denied the report, despite the fact that troop movements have already been observed in recent days.

“Italia and Romania are explicitly named by the NATO Secretary-General as participants in the aggression against Iran. They, together with all the other European countries that have supported the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, must explain to their own citizens and to the world why they have chosen to collude in this blatant act of aggression and in the commission of mass atrocities against the Iranian people in Minab, Lamerd, Tehran, Isfahan, Sanandaj, Hamadan, Tabriz, Shiraz and Bandar Abbas”. This was written in X by the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baqei, following Mark Rutte’s interview on Fox.

Brent crude, the international benchmark for Europe, has fallen below the levels seen prior to the US and Israeli attack on Iran, thanks to the gradual resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The price of a barrel for August delivery fell by more than 1% in overnight trading, reaching $72.44, compared with the closing price of $72.48 on 27 February, the day before the conflict began.

At 23.59 on 30 August 2021, as Kabul descended into chaos and twenty years of war were drawing to a close in the way Washington had hoped to avoid, a general, wearing a helmet and carrying a rifle slung over his shoulder, crossed the runway at Hamid Karzai Airport and boarded the last military aircraft to leave Afghanistan. The photograph was taken through a night-vision goggle. The image was greenish and grainy. It would become one of the symbols of post-9/11 America.

The man pictured was Christopher Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, one of the most famous units in the US Army. That night, he was the one to board the last American flight departing from Kabul, symbolically bringing to a close a war that had cost the Americans over two thousand service personnel and thousands of billions of dollars.

“The Secretary-General’s latest report on children and armed conflict documents 38,558 verified grave violations against children in 2025. Behind that figure are children who have been killed and maimed, recruited and used by armed forces and armed groups, abducted, subjected to sexual violence, denied humanitarian assistance and deprived of education, healthcare and protection.” This was stated by Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.

These are “alarming figures that tell only part of the story. Many other violations go unreported due to insecurity, difficulties in gaining access, and fear of reprisals”. The report also highlights “a deeply worrying development: for the first time, government forces and their affiliates are responsible for more serious violations against children than non-state armed groups”. It also points to several other alarming trends. “Firstly, children continue to be killed and maimed in staggering numbers by explosive weapons in populated areas.”

War in Iran and the Middle East, 25 June.

The White House has asked the US Congress for nearly 88 billion dollars in additional funding, the ‘majority’ of which is needed to meet ‘urgent requirements’ relating to the war in Iran. More than 67 billion dollars would be allocated to the Pentagon – specifically for the ‘operational costs’ of the conflict launched by the US and Israel on 28 February and to ‘replenish ammunition stocks’ – according to a letter sent to Congress by Russ Vought, the White House budget director.

In March, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had suggested that the Pentagon might need a further $200 billion to fund the war. The Trump administration’s request could face opposition from Congress, where almost all Democrats have opposed the conflict from the outset and where some members of the Republican majority are beginning to question the costs involved.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards have warned against any transit through the Strait of Hormuz without their authorisation, threatening to take ‘appropriate measures’ against vessels that fail to comply. Iran is considering introducing ‘transit fees’ (which did not exist prior to the conflict), whilst the United States opposes this move, arguing that it is an ‘international waterway’, despite the fact that the waters of the strait border the coasts of both Iran and the Sultanate of Oman.

“The only authorised route for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is that announced by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Revolutionary Guards have stated. Any transit not authorised by Iran is described as ‘unacceptable and dangerous’ and will result in the adoption of ‘appropriate measures’; this warning is contained in a statement criticising ‘the announcement by certain authorities of a new maritime route’.

Tehran accuses NATO of “complicity” in the Israeli-American war against Iran, after the alliance’s secretary-general yesterday emphasised NATO’s support for the US. In response to US President Donald Trump’s criticism of allies for failing to support the war, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told Fox News that hundreds of American aircraft had taken off from bases in Italia. “Country after country, ally after ally, have made their bases available for Epic Fury,” Rutte told Fox News, referring to the US military operation in Iran. “Five hundred US aircraft have taken off from American bases in Italia to support Epic Fury.” Rutte also told Fox News that Romania “had to reduce commercial flights and the number of aircraft because it needed to use the airports for in-flight refuelling facilities” during the war with Iran. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei, condemns the NATO Secretary-General’s alleged admission of “active complicity” in the “illegal war”. “This is a clear and unequivocal admission of NATO’s active complicity in an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign member state of the United Nations,” Baghaei wrote on X, accusing NATO of “a flagrant violation of the peremptory norms of international law and the core principles of the United Nations Charter”. Italia was quick to distance itself from Rutte’s remarks, which, according to the Ministry of Defence, conveyed “a completely misleading message, confusing the type of authorised flights”. Italia stated that it had only authorised US “technical and logistical” flights during the Epic Fury mission, in accordance with existing agreements with the United States.

Further reading

Rutte: 500 US flights from Italia against Iran; government denies this

24 June 2026

The US Senate has rejected a resolution aimed at preventing US President Donald Trump from resuming the war with Iran, just one day after passing an almost identical measure that had served as a symbolic rebuke of the White House’s handling of the conflict.

The resolution was rejected by 50 votes to 47 in a late-night procedural vote. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who on Tuesday had voted with the Democrats in favour of the previous resolution, changed his position and opposed the new measure moving forward. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who had voted in favour of all previous resolutions since the start of the war, voted ‘present’.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet officials from Bahrain today on the final leg of a tour of the Middle East, during which he has sought to promote the Trump administration’s agreement with Iran amongst Arab allies in the Gulf, who remain sceptical.

Rubio acknowledged the sensitivity of his mission in presenting the peace agreement to Arab leaders in the Gulf, who fear that excessive concessions could strengthen Tehran and alter the balance of regional security and oil flows.