UAE expels Italian Air Force from its territory
The step is in retaliation for an arms embargo imposed by Rome on the UAE early this year due to the Gulf state's involvement in the war in Yemen. The pullout that has already started will be completed in the coming days
Dan Arkin
| 27/06/2021
Italian Air Force planes conduct a flyover of Rome on the occasion of Republic Day earlier this month. Photo: REUTERS/Remo Casilli
The United Arab Emirates has ordered Italian Air Force aircraft and personnel to leave an air base in its territory in retaliation for Italy's imposition of an embargo on sales of weapons to the UAE.
Italian parliamentarian Matteo Perego Di Cremnago, who is a member of the parliament's defense commission, told the Defense News website that the UAE had given Italy until July 2 to remove its forces from the Al Minhad air base, and that the pullout had already begun. A former commander of the Italian Air Force, Gen. Leonardo Tricarico, said that the eviction was part of the harsh treatment of Italy by the UAE.
Al Minhad, which hosts aircraft from various nations, has been used by Italy as a base for attacks on targets in Iraq as well as for stopovers by flights to Afghanistan.
In January, Italy placed an embargo on the sales of missiles and munitions to the UAE and Saudi Arabia because of their involvement in the war in Yemen. The two countries belong to the coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Defense News also mentioned in this context that the Biden administration announced earlier this year that it would review a massive sale, worth over $23 billion, to the UAE of 50 F-35 jets, drones and munitions, but in April the U.S. government announced that it would go ahead with the deal.
The step is in retaliation for an arms embargo imposed by Rome on the UAE early this year due to the Gulf state's involvement in the war in Yemen. The pullout that has already started will be completed in the coming days
Italian Air Force planes conduct a flyover of Rome on the occasion of Republic Day earlier this month. Photo: REUTERS/Remo Casilli
The United Arab Emirates has ordered Italian Air Force aircraft and personnel to leave an air base in its territory in retaliation for Italy's imposition of an embargo on sales of weapons to the UAE.
Italian parliamentarian Matteo Perego Di Cremnago, who is a member of the parliament's defense commission, told the Defense News website that the UAE had given Italy until July 2 to remove its forces from the Al Minhad air base, and that the pullout had already begun. A former commander of the Italian Air Force, Gen. Leonardo Tricarico, said that the eviction was part of the harsh treatment of Italy by the UAE.
Al Minhad, which hosts aircraft from various nations, has been used by Italy as a base for attacks on targets in Iraq as well as for stopovers by flights to Afghanistan.
In January, Italy placed an embargo on the sales of missiles and munitions to the UAE and Saudi Arabia because of their involvement in the war in Yemen. The two countries belong to the coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Defense News also mentioned in this context that the Biden administration announced earlier this year that it would review a massive sale, worth over $23 billion, to the UAE of 50 F-35 jets, drones and munitions, but in April the U.S. government announced that it would go ahead with the deal.
