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 least this time the Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, did not blame Israel for the incident, as he did in November 2024, when four Ghanaian UNIFIL soldiers were wounded in an attack on a base in southern Lebanon, when eight rockets targeted the Italian contingent’s headquarters in Shama.

On that occasion, Crosetto immediately attributed the attack to Israel, but shortly thereafter, a Defense Ministry source corrected his statement, stating that Crosetto “did not have the correct information” at the time of his intervention. Not long after, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani explained that the missiles had been launched by Hezbollah.

Following the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran, Crosetto told the Italian Parliament that it was against international law and complained about the repercussions:

“It certainly violated international law… The Israeli attack began when Khamenei’s position became known. It’s a war that began without the world’s knowledge and that we now find ourselves having to manage,” he added. “Our problem is managing the consequences of a crisis that has exploded and that we didn’t want.”

War is not desired by Israeli civilians forced to take shelter either, nor by the Iranian people caught between falling bombs and the repression of the Khomeinist regime. They did not want this conflict either. But when a nation is repeatedly targeted by a fanatical Islamist leadership on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons, it turns into a matter of survival. The consequences faced by Israelis and Iranians are far greater than those that Minister Crosetto is having to deal with.

It is worth recalling that, in November 2024, following an attack by Hezbollah against an Italian UNIFIL base, the Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, said: “Judging by the type of rockets, we can confirm that it was Hezbollah that hit the UNIFIL base…Hezbollah has no right to touch the Italian troops, who have also guaranteed the safety of Hezbollah and it is therefore inadmissible and unacceptable that they shoot at the Italian contingent…If it was a mistake, they should learn to use weapons better.” A statement that raised enormous doubts and further questions regarding UNIFIL in a time when the whole UN mission in Lebanon was under heavy criticism for its inability to implement the 1701 resolution.

It is also worth recalling that, in April 2024, during the TV show “Stasera Italia” on Rete 4 channel, following Iran’s first missile attack against Israel, Tajani had stated: “The Iranians have assured us that our Italian soldiers in the area will be respected…The Italian contingent in Lebanon is under the aegis of the UN, it is in a condition to be protected, I don’t think there are any dangers either for the Italian soldiers or for the Italian citizens in Israel and Iran”. As for the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, the minister explained how he was assured that “only ships that bring weapons to Israel would be attacked”. (Agi, Apr 14,2024). A rather problematic statement indeed, since the European anti-Houthi mission “Aspides” in the Red Sea was, at the time, being led by Italy and Greece.

To be fair, it must also be highlighted that Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, recently spoke highly critically of Iran and said it provoked the attack by Israel and the United States: “We say first of all that it is unacceptable for Iran to build the atomic bomb and increase the number of missiles. As the Prime Minister has said and repeated several times, we were in favor of the diplomatic option, but Iran could not have the bomb. Certainly, Iran’s hardening stance provoked this reaction, because Israel and the United States perceived a threat to their security.”

On March 7, 2026, US President Donald Trump praised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and said she was willing to help the United States and Israel in their war with Iran, as reported by Italy’s Corriere della Sera.

The massacre of October 7, 2023, and the escalating confrontation with Iran over its nuclear ambitions have profoundly disrupted the previously established balance of power. For many years, Europe—as well as earlier U.S. administrations under Barack Obama and Joe Biden—maintained relatively cooperative relations with the Iranian regime, even while sanctions remained in place. Since October 7, however, that framework has been fundamentally shaken.

There is no doubt that the Iranian regime is now the main supporter and enabler of international Islamist terrorism through the IRGC and its proxies (Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas, and the Iraqi Shia militias) and through its support for the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood movement. The regime’s drone and missile attacks against civilian targets in Gulf countries and Azerbaijan further confirm its terrorist nature.

Today, what is required are clear, courageous, and effective decisions. The time for endless disputes under the banner of “mediation” and “dialogue” with actors who have no intention of engaging in genuine dialogue is over. Now it’s time to pick a side.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)