Italian Diplomats Dispel Rumors of ‘Flag Gaffe’ During PM’s Iraq Visit

Flag of ItalyWhile some netizens claimed that Irish flags were displayed at Meloni’s meeting with her Iraqi counterpart instead of Italian ones, the Italian Embassy in the Middle Eastern country argued that it was merely an optical illusion.The Italian Embassy in Iraq has refuted speculation about a gaffe supposedly made by the hosts during Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s recent visit to Baghdad.After images of Meloni’s meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani emerged online, a number of social media users started speculating that it was Irish and not Italian flags displayed at that event alongside the Iraqi national flag.© Photo : Twitter/@SardarSattarScreenshot of a tweet whose author suggests that Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was “mistakenly welcomed with the Irish flag in Baghdad.”Screenshot of a tweet whose author suggests that Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was “mistakenly welcomed with the Irish flag in Baghdad.”The embassy, however, swiftly dispelled these rumors, stating that the “color shift” seen in the pictures “is a mere optical effect” and that “the flags used were those of the Italian Republic.”“We officially deny that any error occurred during today’s meeting between the Italian PM Giorgia Meloni with her Iraqi counterpart Mohamed Al Sudani in Baghdad,” the embassy tweeted.