March 3, 2026, 1:15 p.mMarch 3, 2026, 1:15 p.m
Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto is increasingly criticized for a stay in Dubai at the beginning of the Israeli-American attacks on Iran.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto was on vacation in Dubai.Image: keystone
The politician from the right-wing ruling party Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) was apparently surprised by the attacks at the weekend. Crosetto was staying in the emirate with his family. The opposition also accuses him of providing false information about the purpose of his trip.
The defense minister is now back in Rome. Crosetto was brought home on a military plane – at his own expense, according to him. There he had to face questioning before a parliamentary committee.
Unlike many other tourists who remain stuck in the region, his family has also already returned to Rome. According to Italian media reports, this happened on board one of the first specially chartered planes.
Meloni stands behind the minister
The opposition accused the right-wing politician of having given contradictory information about the reason for his trip. Crosetto defended himself by saying that he had “always given the same version”. He combined an “institutional obligation” – a meeting with the Emirates Defense Minister – with a visit to the family. According to his own statements, Crosetto had to go to a bunker at the weekend because of Iran’s attacks on Dubai.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (also Fratelli d’Italia) supported her minister. All she said about the dispute on Monday evening was: “I can say that Minister Crosetto never stopped doing his job.” Meloni has been at the head of a coalition of three right-wing and conservative parties for three and a half years. Crosetto has been part of her cabinet since the beginning. (hkl/sda/dpa)