Italy sends frigate with over 160 soldiers to protect Cyprus from Iranian attacks
Mar 12, 2026
Rome [Italy], March 12: Italy has sent a frigate carrying more than 160 armed forces personnel to waters off Cyprus to help protect the eastern Mediterranean island from Iranian attacks.
The ship, Federico Martinengo, is now operational in the waters around country, the Ministry of Defence in Rome said on Wednesday. The frigate has joined a multinational group led by France and centred on its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
At the beginning of the month, an Iranian-made drone crashed into a British base on Cyprus, the EU member state geographically closest to the Middle East.
The island is only around 150 to 250 kilometres away from Lebanon and Israel.
Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni emphasized to the Senate in Rome that her country would not take part in the Israeli-US attacks against Iran. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
