The Italian job: How one of Israel’s closest friends in Europe is helping arm Iran

Robin Shepherd
Robin Shepherd Online
15 January '10

A depressing and extraordinary piece of writing in today’s Wall Street Journal details how Italy has for years been involved in developing a trade and technology relationship with Iran, including contracts with the Revolutionary Guard and other organs of the Iranian regime which could aid its nuclear weapons programme.

The author, Giulio Meotti, illustrates his broader theme with a quotation from the website of the Italian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce which says: “Iran and Italy were rivals and two great powerhouses in ancient times, but in the contemporary world they are great partners.”

Such flagrant disregard for the implications of this relationship is echoed by both senior politicians and leading companies and is especially worrying because Italy is widely seen as a strong supporter of Israel, a country which the Iranian regime aims to destroy.

As a sign of how problematic the relationship is likely to be, the author quotes Foreign Minister Franco Frattini making the extraordinary assertion that the West should “avoid those [sanctions against Iran] that are connected with Iranian national pride.”

He also explains the context of such remarks as follows:

“Despite international sanctions against Iran, Italian exports to the Islamic Republic rose almost 17% in 2008 to €2.17 billion, according to the Italian statistical office. During that same year, overall trade also rose almost 17% to €7 billion, representing more than a quarter of the European Union’s total trade with Iran. For the past three years, Italy has been Iran’s No. 1 European trading partner.”

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