Italy has announced that it will guarantee the security of its ships' passage with the help of its navy, considering the deteriorating situation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and will not wait for a decision from the European Union.
Statement from the Italian Minister of Defense
Guido Crosetto, the Italian Minister of Defense, stated: "We have the necessary capability to protect the passage of ships." He emphasized that if this maritime route becomes unusable, it will have significant economic consequences: "We must not allow delays caused by bureaucratic decision-making processes to worsen an already complex situation."
Read more: Emmanuel Macron spoke about the consequences of closing the Strait of Hormuz
Efforts of the European Union
The European Union has been present in the Red Sea since 2024 with the mission "EUNAVFOR Aspida." This mission is a defensive and military naval operation by the European Union to ensure freedom of navigation in response to the ongoing attacks by Houthi militants from Yemen on commercial and transport ships in the Red Sea. However, Italy has decided not to wait for the coordination and decisions of this EU mission any longer.
Currently, an Italian frigate is stationed in the region, officially under the EU mission. The government in Rome is now considering whether Parliament should review and reapprove the regulations and operational powers of the navy for this new mission. Legal and political obstacles for a unilateral action are likely to be very high, but this statement is, in any case, a form of diplomatic disregard for Brussels.
Economic consequences of the crisis
Italy may want to prompt the European Union to react more quickly this way. If shipping companies refrain from passing through the Red Sea in the long term and choose the longer route around the African continent, Italy's economy will be severely affected. The Houthi militants, who are allied with Iran and receive military and financial support from Tehran, succeeded in a lightning operation last week to bring all the western coasts of Yemen under their control.
Thus, they have practically achieved almost complete control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Bab al-Mandab connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and is of great importance for global trade, similar to the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthis have been attacking ships in this area for years, and in November 2023, they began their attacks on commercial ships allegedly linked to Israel.
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