ROME, April 6 : Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni admitted that if the situation in the Middle East was worsening, and the country could face an energy shortage.
The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Saturday the introduction of the first restrictions on jet fuel at four Italian airports in Milan, Venice, Treviso, and Bologna.
“When instability increases in the Gulf countries, it impacts energy costs, businesses, jobs, and ultimately the purchasing power of families,” Meloni said in a video posted on her social media.
The Persian Gulf states play a key role in the global energy market, and if production there is reduced or halted, energy prices will rise for everyone, the prime minister believes.
“And if the situation worsens, we could find ourselves in a situation where we don’t have all the energy we need, even in Italy,” Meloni said.
On Friday and Saturday, Meloni visited the Persian Gulf countries, which, according to her, provide 15% of Italy’s oil needs.
“I discussed with them how to strengthen cooperation, help stop the escalation, and quickly restore freedom of navigation along the routes on which energy, trade, and stability depend, starting with the Strait of Hormuz,” she explained.
On February 28, the US and Israel began striking targets in Iran, including Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran has been carrying out retaliatory strikes on Israeli territory, as well as on US military facilities in the Middle East.
The escalating conflict has nearly halted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route for global oil and LNG. As a result, fuel prices are rising in most countries.
(UNI)
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