Middle East

Iran, Meloni hears from European partners and Arab leaders: political solution to the crisis. Crosetto: strong concern

Long phone call between Meloni and Schlein. Crosetto: this bombing 'completely changes the scenario, a much bigger crisis opens up'

22 June 2025

La presidente del Consiglio Giorgia Meloni (foto di Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

4' min read

First an urgently convened videoconference meeting, then numerous contacts with international partners and key players in the region. Premier Giorgia Meloni took action in light of the US military attack on nuclear sites in Iran and the worsening crisis in the Middle East. In the evening, the PM had a phone call with Sergio Mattarella to inform the President of the Republic about the situation in the Middle East and to take stock of the situation with the Head of State.

Increased anti-terrorism measures: 29,000 targets under surveillance

In the meantime, prevention and risk analysis activities for homeland security have been stepped up with a focus on counter-terrorism measures. More than 29 thousand sensitive targets have been put under surveillance, of which more than 10 thousand are critical infrastructures and about a thousand concern US and Israeli interests. This was the outcome of the Strategic Counter-Terrorism Analysis Committee and the National Committee for Public Order and Security chaired by Minister Piantedosi, which was attended by the heads of law enforcement, intelligence agencies and cyber security structures.

The government summit

In the morning, the summit lasted over an hour between the Prime Minister, Foreign, Interior and Defence Ministers Tajani, Piantedosi and Crosetto, the Undersecretary to the Presidency with responsibility for the Security Services, Mantovano, and the heads of National Intelligence. "Italy," Minister Tajani said at the end, "was not informed before the attack, even though it was in the air". Moreover, 'no military bases in Italy have been requested by the US so far. And no planes have left Italy'. Italy,' Tajani said after the summit, 'is making every effort to de-escalate and in any case now the priority is the safety of our compatriots in the area and their repatriation, especially from Israel and Iran and the other areas most exposed to the conflict'.

During the day, Palazzo Chigi reported, the Prime Minister had numerous contacts: Meloni exchanged views with the G7 President-in-Office, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with French President Emmanuel Macron and with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In the regional sphere, the Prime Minister spoke with the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

The need to work towards a rapid resumption of negotiations between the parties, in order to avoid a further escalation of the conflict and to reach a political solution to the crisis, was shared and given utmost importance by all interlocutors.

Crosetto: grave concern over crisis development

The air raids conducted overnight by the US against three Iranian uranium enrichment sites - located near Natanz, Arak and Fordow - represent a radical change of the strategic scenario in the Middle East. It opens up a much broader crisis, the evolution of which is of great concern. It is reasonable to expect a much stronger response from Iran, which may not be limited to the regional theatre and may involve American targets and Western interests in sensitive areas of the globe'. This was stated in a note by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

Long phone call with Schlein

Nazareno sources said: 'There was a long telephone contact between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein following the US attacks on Iran.

"The Italian government,' says the Democratic Party secretary, 'must make it clear that it will not take part in military actions, nor will it allow our territory to be used to provide support for a war that the international community must try to stop before it is too late, and it must commit itself to de-escalation and to bringing all the actors involved back to the negotiating table, also to defend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Italy repudiates war and wants peace'. Schlein adds: 'Trump said he would bring peace and put an end to conflicts, but instead he drops bombs in Iran and sets the world on fire'.

Conte to Meloni, do not give our bases

"The US attack marks an escalation with uncontrollable outcomes. I ask Meloni for once not to wait for instructions from above and to immediately put the security of our country first, not to give the availability of our military bases for this escalation and to guarantee that no shots will be fired by one of our soldiers." Thus M5s leader Giuseppe Conte.

The imminence of the US attack

The minister added that the situation had been being monitored since last night "because some movements of American planes had given us the reasonable certainty that an attack could be triggered. Last night it did: it was clear that the Fordow nuclear site was Israel's main point of interest because it was the centre of Iran's nuclear programme. Israel did not have the capability to strike this site, under 90 metres of rock, in a meaningful way: that is why American bombers, which have the highest underground penetration capacity in the world, intervened during the night'.

Tajani: Italian soldiers repatriated from Iraq

"The attack was in the air given the movements that were there: we were well aware. We sent some Italian soldiers who were in Baghdad back yesterday, because of the risk of retaliation. They were in a base together with Americans". This was said by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, connected to the Tg1 Rai special

Count and left to attack

"In all this, what is Italy's position? The government goes in short order. Foreign Minister Tajani: 'We hope that after this attack we can reach de-escalation'. Defence Minister Crosetto, on the other hand: 'A much bigger crisis is opening up'. While Meloni will once again put her head in the sand, as she has done for three years, expressing 'grave concern'? We believe and reiterate that more weapons and more wars are not a path to peace and security. Ukraine, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq have taught us nothing? Stop". Thus Giuseppe Conte, M5S leader, on social media. "Tomorrow Giorgia Meloni will be in Parliament: come and explain why she has led Italian foreign policy to be totally remote-controlled by the USA and Israel. Why is she silent in the face of a military attack that drags us into an endless conflict? The world is hurtling towards global war. And they call it peace,' said Angelo Bonelli, MP for AVS and co-spokesperson of Green Europe