Italy likely to send military aid to Gulf states, sources say

Published
0

Italy’s government is likely to provide military aid, including an air defence system, to Gulf nations that have requested help with equipment in the face of Iranian air strikes, two sources have said, according to Reuters.

The sources, who asked not to be named, said that while a final decision had not yet been made, Italy would probably send one of its SAMP/T batteries that can intercept ballistic missiles.

They would not say which country would receive the system, or which battery Rome was considering redeploying.

Italy is not particularly reliant on energy supplies from the Gulf, but its energy minister has said the country could reactivate some coal-fired power plants if the conflict leads to an energy crisis.

The HMS Dragon during ammunitioning operations at Upper Harbour Ammunitioning Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth Harbour, after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain would deploy the naval vessel, along with helicopters equipped with counter-drone capabilities, to the eastern Mediterranean as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, in Portsmouth, Britain, March 4, 2026. — Reuters
The HMS Dragon during ammunitioning operations at Upper Harbour Ammunitioning Facility (UHAF) in Portsmouth Harbour, after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that Britain would deploy the naval vessel, along with helicopters equipped with counter-drone capabilities, to the eastern Mediterranean as the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, in Portsmouth, Britain, March 4, 2026. — Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
Updated 01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

Pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds, retail investors, and eventually, foreign investors must become bigger participants in the market.
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...