Media: Italian PM visits Gulf states in surprise mission to protect oil supplies

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has embarked on a surprise tour of the Arab Gulf states, aiming to ensure Rome maintains access to critical energy supplies amid the ongoing war in Iran.

Meloni began her two-day trip, meeting with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Jeddah before traveling to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, POLITICO reports.

For security reasons, the visit—the first by a European leader to the region since the outbreak of the conflict—was kept confidential, with only Italian President Sergio Mattarella informed in advance. Italian media reported that the country’s intelligence services “strongly advised against” the Gulf trip, ultimately persuading Meloni to cancel a planned stop in Kuwait.

In an interview with TG1, Meloni framed her visit as “a gesture of solidarity” with regional allies, while acknowledging the practical objective of securing Italy’s access to oil.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas flows, has significantly affected Italy. Arab Gulf states supply approximately 15 percent of the country’s oil, and rising global prices have prompted Meloni’s government to allocate nearly €900 million to reduce fuel taxes.

By Vafa Guliyeva