"The US-Israel intervention is outside international law": Giorgia Meloni's break in the Senate

In the Senate, during the communications ahead of the upcoming European Council, the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni stated that “the American and Israeli intervention against Iran is outside international law”. Words destined to mark a turning point in Italian and European foreign policy: a clear, unambiguous position that falls like a boulder into the already turbulent waters of the capitals of the Old Continent, forcing them to confront their own contradictions.

The backdrop is that of a Middle Eastern crisis that has now spilled beyond regional borders. It all began at the end of February 2026, when Washington and Jerusalem launched large-scale attacks against strategic and military targets in Iranian territory. In response to Tehran, which retaliated with missiles and drones, Europe found itself deeply divided.

In this “fragmented geography,” where some member states have opened logistical corridors to allies while others have erected barriers, Meloni's words do not appear to be an isolated incident but rather a signal of a precise repositioning. Rome is shifting the balance towards a rigorous legal orthodoxy, with direct effects on the CSDP, the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Italian position stands out in a multi-speed Union.

In Brussels, the community institutions maintain a “minimalism of caution”: the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council Antonio Costa have limited themselves to calling for “maximum moderation” and respect for the United Nations Charter. However, it is in the individual capitals that the extent of the rift is measured.

While Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the United Kingdom led by Keir Starmer have gradually re-coalesced around the Atlantic axis, and France under Emmanuel Macron is trying a difficult balancing act — condemning the initial action while preserving the deterrence of allies — the line of Rome is aligning more closely with that of Madrid, the loudest European exception.

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has labeled the U.S.-Israel operation as "unjustifiable", triggering a tough diplomatic standoff with the White House after denying the use of Rota and Morón bases for the attacks. Meloni employs the same "grammar of international law" as the Spanish front, which has become an ethical barometer of the "no to war" stance, without, however, going so far — at least for now — as to impose an operational veto on overflights or the use of infrastructure.

Regarding the bases, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized that European countries, including Italy, are adhering to the agreements that regulate the use of military bases: "It seems to me that all European partners are complying with what their agreements in this matter stipulate. Even the Spanish government, which has been much discussed, has stated through its spokesperson that 'there is a bilateral agreement between Spain and the United States, and outside of that agreement there will be no use of Spanish bases. This means that the agreement is not being called into question and that all activities covered by the agreement are not being questioned. That is what Italy is also doing, and frankly, it is surprising that this choice is condemned at home and praised in Spain by the same, identical people. A bit of logic, from this point of view, would not hurt."

Meloni then added: "Unless the issue is that we must close American bases on Italian territory, because in that case, allow me to say that those who support this could have done it when they were in government and when, instead, they chose to do something else, and not imply it when they are in opposition."

The Prime Minister's statements raise immediate questions. While NATO, through Secretary General Mark Rutte, has expressed clear political support for the American action while excluding formal involvement of the Alliance, Italy is walking on a very thin line. The challenge for Palazzo Chigi is to firmly reaffirm international legality without causing irreversible rifts within the Atlantic perimeter.

However, the words spoken in the Senate are destined to impact bilateral relations with Washington in the coming 30-60 days. A calculated diplomatic risk that forces Europe to reflect on its own identity, suspended between solidarity with the transatlantic ally and respect for the norms of international law.