The war against Iran jeopardizes U.S. global leadership, warns Italian minister

The war against Iran has jeopardized the global leadership of the United States, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said, expressing concern about the “madness” of nuclear escalation. Like some other NATO allies hesitant to join President Donald Trump’s attacks on Iran, Italy last week denied authorization for American military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily en route to the Middle East.

“This war also jeopardizes the global leadership of the United States,” Mr. Crosetto told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in an interview published on Tuesday. Mr. Crosetto, a close ally of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who has good relations with Mr. Trump, said he feared the conflict could take an even more serious turn and cited American nuclear bombings in 1945 on Japan during World War II.

“Think about it: it was human beings like us who decided that even Hiroshima and Nagasaki were acceptable means to end a conflict. Unfortunately, we still possess nuclear weapons and those who do not have them seek to acquire them. We have not learned anything,” he said.

“The risk is senseless and we are living in a conflict in which every action triggers a reaction at a higher level.”

Mr. Crosetto, who is scheduled to address Parliament regarding the war against Iran later on Tuesday, said Mr. Trump should have braver advisers.

“One of the problems of this presidency is that no one dares to contradict the boss,” he said.

While Mr. Trump is angry at Europe’s position on the war, Mr. Crosetto said Italy had not given the United States authorization to use its bases in circumstances other than those that arose last week. Meloni, who has so far refrained from taking a firm stance against the war, visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates over the weekend to show support for Gulf nations facing Iranian attacks and to protect Italy’s energy supplies as the world grapples with rising fuel prices.