More key US allies block military flights as Iran war rift widens with Trump

More cardinal European allies are restricting U.S. subject entree arsenic the Trump medication presses up with its warfare against Iran, with some France and Italy moving to artifact U.S.-linked craft from utilizing their airspace oregon bases.

Italy denied support for U.S. subject craft to onshore astatine the Sigonella Air Base successful Sicily earlier heading to the Middle East, Reuters reported Tuesday, saying Washington had not sought anterior authorization from Rome. 

France has besides refused overflight for planes carrying U.S. subject supplies to Israel, according to President Donald Trump, marking a uncommon disruption to regular subject coordination betwixt Washington and cardinal European allies.

Their refusals transportation operational value due to the fact that U.S. bases successful Europe — including those successful Italy — are "essential" for supporting Middle East operations, acting arsenic captious staging and transit hubs for subject aircraft. 

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The determination marks the latest motion of increasing friction betwixt the United States and European allies arsenic President Donald Trump ramps up unit connected NATO partners to enactment operations tied to the warfare with Iran.

John Hemmings, manager of the National Security Centre astatine the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based overseas argumentation deliberation tank, told Fox News Digital the determination reflects deeper tensions.

"The quality that Italy has blocked U.S. overflight and basal usage for craft taking portion successful the struggle successful Iran is the disposable motion of a transatlantic situation bubbling over," Hemmings said. "U.S. governmental and subject authorization is astatine stone bottommost successful Europe. Italy’s defection is simply a worrying indicator since Italy presently has a right-leaning populist government, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a known ‘Trump Whisperer,’ the lone European person to be Trump’s inauguration."

U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni shingle hands arsenic they airs for a photo, astatine a satellite leaders' acme connected ending the Gaza war, amid a U.S.-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire woody betwixt Israel and Hamas, successful Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/Pool (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/Reuters)

An Italian authorities connection pushed backmost connected reports of a rupture, saying: "With notation to media reports regarding the usage of subject bases, the authorities reiterates that Italy acts successful afloat compliance with existing planetary agreements and with the argumentation guidelines acceptable retired by the authorities to parliament." 

"Relations with the United States, successful particular, are coagulated and based connected afloat and loyal cooperation," the connection added.

Still, Italy’s determination follows a bid of moves by European allies distancing themselves from U.S. subject actions successful Iran.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (Darko Bandic/The Associated Press )

Spain connected Monday said it had closed its airspace to U.S. planes progressive successful strikes, going further than its earlier refusal to let the usage of jointly operated bases. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has been among the astir vocal critics of the U.S. and Israeli campaign.

In remarks earlier parliament Tuesday, Spain’s defence curate said the authorities had "prohibited the usage of the bases of Rota and Morón" and did not assistance formation authorizations "to enactment operations successful Iran."

The curate stressed the determination was constricted specifically to operations linked to Iran and did not awesome a broader interruption with NATO oregon the United States. 

"If 1 looks astatine Spain’s refusal to let U.S. overflight implicit its airspace oregon U.S. bases," Hemmings said, "one could reason it’s a U.S.-Spanish issue. The premier minister, Pedro Sánchez, a socialist, has nary emotion mislaid for the MAGA movement. But Italy’s refusal comes aft Poland’s refusal to let a U.S. Patriot anti-missile artillery to beryllium redeployed and looks similar the U.S. wheels are wobbling — if not coming off."

Trump connected Tuesday escalated his disapproval of allies successful a bid of posts connected Truth Social, singling retired France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, though the United Kingdom has continued to let U.S. craft to run from its territory, including bomber and refueling missions tied to Middle East operations.

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President Donald Trump is slated to articulation the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland, arsenic helium threatens further tariffs connected NATO nations arsenic helium works to unafraid a woody to get Greenland.  (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

"The Country of France wouldn’t fto planes headed to Israel, loaded up with subject supplies, alert implicit French territory," Trump wrote.

"France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. volition REMEMBER!!!," helium added.

A root successful the French presidency, the Élysée Palace, told Fox News Digital, "we are amazed by this tweet. France has not changed its presumption since the archetypal day, and we corroborate this decision, which is accordant with the French presumption since the opening of the conflict."

In different station connected Tuesday, Trump criticized the U.K. portion urging allies to instrumentality enactment successful the Strait of Hormuz, a captious planetary lipid way disrupted during the conflict.

"All of those countries that can’t get pitchy substance due to the fact that of the Strait of Hormuz, similar the United Kingdom, which refused to get progressive successful the decapitation of Iran, I person a proposition for you," Trump wrote.

"Number 1, bargain from the U.S., we person plenty, and Number 2, physique up immoderate delayed courage, spell to the Strait, and conscionable TAKE IT."

"You’ll person to commencement learning however to combat for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t beryllium determination to assistance you anymore, conscionable similar you weren’t determination for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard portion is done. Go get your ain oil!"

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JULY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and his woman Victoria Starmer astatine Trump Turnberry play nine connected July 28, 2025 successful Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that connection during a property briefing Tuesday.

"There are countries astir the satellite who ought to beryllium prepared to measurement up connected this captious waterway arsenic well," helium said. "It’s not conscionable the United States Navy. Last clip I checked, determination was expected to beryllium a big, atrocious Royal Navy that could beryllium prepared to bash things similar that arsenic well."

NATO acknowledged the increasing strain, pointing to remarks by Secretary-General Mark Rutte from a March 26 property conference.

"What I've been seeing is immoderate vexation with him (Trump), astir the Europeans needing to instrumentality clip to respond to his request, erstwhile it comes to this question of making definite that oversea lanes are open," Rutte said.

"There is simply a crushed for that … the U.S. was not capable to consult with allies due to the fact that they wanted to support the run concealed … But that besides had the disadvantage that it takes clip for the Europeans to get organized."

Rutte added that much than 30 countries person since joined discussions connected securing maritime routes, "exactly besides to the petition of President Trump."

Hemmings warned the fallout could person broader strategical consequences. 

"There is thing deeper here, though, and that is that determination is simply a increasing transatlantic rift betwixt right-leaning populists and left-leaning populists. The information is that the U.S. and galore Western European countries are not lone divided implicit NATO spending and trade; they are divided ideologically."

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NATO leaders airs successful this changeable taken successful June.  (Claudia Greco/Reuters)

"This should interest planners astatine the Pentagon and astatine NATO office successful Brussels," helium said. "Despite caller changes successful U.S. unit operation successful Europe, changes person been incremental and cautiously broadcast. The U.S. and Europe inactive request each different severely for defense-industrial cooperation, for helping bring Ukraine to victory, and for deterring their communal adversaries."

Fox News Digital besides reached retired to Italy, the Pentagon and the White House but did not person responses successful clip for publication.