Following the escalation of the situation in Libya with the involvement of Turkey and Russia in support of the two rival factions of the Government of National Agreement (GNA) chaired by Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj and of the Libyan National Army (LNA) commanded by General Khalifa Haftar, FederPetroli Italy President Michele Michele intervenes “It is a war for oil fields in several regions of the Middle East which today, compared to 20 years ago, produce millions and millions of barrels of oil. Until recently, nobody was interested in Libyan territory but now the region has become a land of conquest. The goal of other nations is only and exclusively the entry into the processes of management of oil fields and the huge reserves of oil and gas still to be exploited in the center-south of the country. The attempt to destabilize Italy is evident but ENI cannot be touched ".
Marseille continues “Since the 50s we have been working with Libya and the contracting companies have been engaged in contracts that are still unpaid to date due to the war situation of recent years. Companies that are sacrificing their labor and economic forces in order to continue their business. We will not let others get in the way of development contracts already awarded or in company planning. ENI in Libya is a workhorse for the international oil industry, the only major to supply part of its production for the internal needs of the country. International law agreements would be violated. The concern is so great, certainly Italy in this moment has lost competitiveness and role in the political decision-making tables in the North African country, a silver plate has been served to third parties to arrive at the National Oil Corporation (NOC), an energy company of Libyan state ".
The president of FederPetroli Italy also intervenes following the US attack "By now the fuse is on, Qasem Soleimani was not a simple military cadet, the repercussions will soon be found throughout the Middle East, a territory connected by a strong interconnection of military forces between different countries. Even there Italy through ENI holds in Iraq one of the largest deposits in the world called Zubair, we cross our fingers. The price of oil has surged and it is normal, the problem concerns the future availability of crude oil, which in a few weeks could drastically reduce with the closure of some naval routes near the Middle Eastern oil nerve centers and on sections of the international energy chessboard, like Hormuz ".
Marseille on Iran replies with a "No comment but the Ayatollah regime, for those who know that country, responds with the same medal".