On the night of March 12, an Italian military base in Iraqi Kurdistan was struck by an Iranian airstrike that destroyed an army vehicle, though no injuries were reported, the Italian Defense Ministry said Thursday morning. The ministry initially described the incident as a missile attack but later clarified that it had been carried out by a drone. Sources within the ministry added that the device may not have been deliberately aimed at the Italian base and could have hit it accidentally after losing altitude. The origin of the drone was still unknown.

Italy has about 300 troops stationed in Erbil to train Kurdish security forces, according to the ministry’s website. Whether it was an accident or whether the Italian Ministry of Defense wishes to believe this version remains unclear. What is certain, however, is that the speed with which it was labeled an Iranian error, while at the same time claiming the drone’s origin is still unknown, is rather curious.

It is worth highlighting that, on March 6, 2026, during an interview with the Italian Rete 4 channel, the Iranian ambassador to Italy, Mohammad Reza Sabbouri, stated that Italy is “a friendly country”, but he warned Rome about the consequences if it were to allow the United States to use its military bases for operations related to the conflict.

Was it a warning? A threat? The most appropriate measure to take, at that point, would have been to recall the ambassador, to say the least. However, Italy currently seems unwilling to take steps against the Khomeinist regime that go beyond statements made by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani against a nuclear Iran.

Ironically speaking, at........

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