Exclusive: Latest Iran-bound U.S. spy drone departs Sicily as PD protests

 ROME - A U.S. spy drone launched from Sigonella air base in Sicily at 4:45 AM Sunday morning bound for Iran. Tracked by open-source analysts at the Italian Insider, the MQ-4C Triton is at the time of writing flying over the Persian Gulf after conducting surveillance sweeps of the Iranian coastline near Kharg Island.

 The development comes after the head of Partito Democratico (PD) in Sicily, Anthony Barbagallo, demanded Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urgently clarify Italy’s position on U.S. operations out of Sigonella, as the U.S. steps up Iran drone reconnaissance missions from the Sicilian air base, said political sources. 

 Two MQ-4C Triton spy drones, 47-foot-long behemoths equipped for long-range surveillance missions, were also spotted departing Sigonella over last weekend, according to la Repubblica and open-source analysts.  

 Like last weekend's operations, air traffic platforms tracked Sunday's drone heading east, crossing the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula before conducting surveillance sweeps of the Iranian coastline, including near the strategically-important oil export hub of Kharg Island. 

 “Italy is not at war with Iran, Sicily is!” fretted Barbagallo at a campaign rally in Messina last week, accusing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of being “silent in the face of the US and Israeli actions.” 

 Italian leadership have insisted that such U.S. operations do not require prior authorization from Rome because they are 'non-kinetic'.  

 Critics have argued the bilateral agreements governing U.S access to bases in Italy are outdated, claiming that the lines between defensive and offensive operations in modern warfare are increasingly blurry. 

 mb