Following the US operation "Epic Fury" in Iran, NATO and the Italian government engaged in a heated exchange. The dispute was prompted by words made by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who, in an interview with Fox News, complimented Donald Trump's leadership and Europe's "massive" role, describing it as a "power projection platform" for the US. Rutte mentioned the examples of Romania and, most notably, Italy: "As many as 500 American aircraft took off from US bases on Italian soil to support Epic Fury, a huge effort". These statements were made on the eve of a delicate meeting with Trump, with the goal of showing the US president how his pressure has compelled European partners to invest massive sums in defense, creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. However, the Italian Ministry of Defense responded quickly and unequivocally, condemning the NATO chief's reconstruction. "It is surprising that the NATO Secretary General, who had nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury, is sending a completely misleading message by confusing the types of authorized flights", the Ministry of Defense stated in a statement. Rome stressed that Italy only allows transit flights permitted by current treaties, which "totally exclude any type of kinetic activity" (i.e., attacks or combat actions).