Italian Prime Minister Meloni makes surprise visit to Gulf region

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has arrived on a surprise visit to the Gulf region.

She landed in Saudi Arabia this afternoon on a flight from Rome, the Italian news agency ANSA reported on Friday.

The visit had been kept secret until her arrival for security reasons. Meloni is the first Western head of government to visit since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran at the end of February.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar were named as further stops on her two-day trip. Energy supply is expected to be among the topics discussed.

As in many other countries, there is great concern in Italy that energy supplies could become scarce and prices could rise even further if the war continues.

Meloni has been in power since October 2022 in a coalition of three right-wing and conservative parties.

The US and Israel have been attacking Iran since February 28, while Iran is carrying out retaliatory strikes against Israel and countries in the region that have a US military presence.

Iran has all but blocked its Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for global oil transport, sending energy prices soaring worldwide.