Italy plans to send air-defence assistance to Gulf countries targeted by Iranian strikes launched in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Thursday, as the widening conflict raises security concerns across the region. “Italy, like the UK, France and Germany, intends to send aid to the Gulf countries,” Meloni told RTL 102.5 radio. She said the assistance would focus on defensive capabilities. “We are clearly talking about defence, air defence, not just because they are friendly nations but because there are tens of thousands of Italians in that area and around 2,000 Italian soldiers that we must protect,” she said. Meloni added that stability in the Gulf was crucial for Europe’s energy security, describing the region as “vital for energy supplies for Italy and Europe”. What is the SAMP/T air-defence system? Italian officials said the government was considering sending military equipment including an air-defence system capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Two sources told Reuters that Rome was likely to deploy one of its SAMP/T air-defence batteries, a Franco-Italian system designed to counter missile threats. A final decision has not yet been made, and officials did not say which Gulf country might receive the system. The sources added that Italy could also provide anti-drone systems, […]