March 31 (UPI) -- The Italian government said Tuesday that U.S. military aircraft can't land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily en route to missions in the Middle East.
U.S. bombers sought to land at the base last week, but had not notified Italian officials of the plans, Italian news outlet Corriere della Sera reported. Italy refused to allow the aircraft to land there, Politico reported.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the flights were outside normal, logistical operations. The United States and Italy have a defense agreement that requires Italy's parliament to approve U.S. use of bases for such missions, The Hill reported.
He added that reports suggesting that Italy closed all U.S. access to Italian bases was "simply false."
A statement from the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed the news.
