By Angelo Amante
ROME, March 2 (Reuters) - Italy has received requests for air defence and anti-drone systems from Gulf countries caught up in the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States, Rome's defence minister told lawmakers on Monday.
The war against Iran is expanding as Israel has attacked Lebanon in response to strikes by militant group Hezbollah, Tehran has fired missiles and drones at Gulf states, and an Iranian-made drone has hit a British air base in Cyprus.
"The Gulf countries are expressing strong concern about the evolution of the crisis and have indicated the urgent need to strengthen their defence capabilities, particularly air defence and anti-drone," Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said.
The minister said requests included the SAMP/T, a Franco-Italian battery also known as MAMBA that can track dozens of targets and intercept 10 at once. It is the only European-made system that can intercept ballistic missiles.
Italy is already supplying SAMP/T systems to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia, so further availability for Gulf states is difficult.
"It is a very delicate issue, considering that these capabilities are already heavily strained and limited in light of European needs and the support provided so far to Ukraine," Crosetto said in a parliamentary hearing.
Crosetto - who returned on Sunday from Dubai, where he had been stranded with his family following the attack on Iran - spoke to lawmakers along with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who said the conflict was a direct threat to Italy's security.
(Reporting by Angelo Amante, writing by Alvise Armellini, editing by Gianluca Semeraro)
