Overview
- Italian media reported the death of Franco Angioni at age 92 on October 28, 2025.
- Angioni led the Italian contingent of the multinational force in Beirut from 1982 to 1984, marking Italy’s first overseas deployment since World War II.
- The mission operated alongside U.S. and French forces after a Soviet veto blocked a UN mandate, and Angioni became known for a conciliatory, people-focused command style.
- Defence Minister Guido Crosetto honored him on X, praising his leadership and humanity during one of Italy’s most complex peace operations.
- A career paratrooper who became Folgore vice commander in 1977, he later served as government commissioner for initiatives in Albania (1997–1998) and as a deputy elected in 2001, including a term as secretary of the Chamber’s Defence Commission and membership in the NATO parliamentary delegation.