Relationship dossier
Italy
United States
Relationship assessment
A durable NATO alliance and defense partnership, alongside periodic disagreements over military and foreign policy.
Italy toward United States
+60Italy has supported the bilateral security relationship through NATO membership, hosting U.S. forces and contributing personnel to allied operations, including in Afghanistan. Italy opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, reflecting a notable foreign-policy disagreement.
United States toward Italy
+60The United States has maintained a substantial military presence in Italy and cooperated with Italy through NATO and bilateral defense arrangements. U.S. forces based in Italy have supported allied operations, while the United States has treated Italy as a key NATO partner.
Overall relationship
+55The enduring structure is a close security alliance anchored in NATO membership, U.S. forces stationed in Italy and repeated military cooperation. Disagreements, including Italy’s opposition to the 2003 Iraq invasion, have occurred within that broader partnership rather than defining it.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Italy and the United States maintain a durable alliance centered on NATO, defense cooperation and joint military activity. Italy has hosted U.S. forces and contributed to allied operations, including in Afghanistan. The relationship has also included policy disagreements, notably Italy’s opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. These tensions have not displaced the longstanding security partnership.
Areas of tension
- Italy opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Key developments
Italy and the United States became founding members of NATO, establishing a durable framework for their security cooperation.
Italy opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, marking a major disagreement over the use of military force.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and practical effects of recent defense and energy cooperation are unclear.