Conflict & Security
Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb
September 18, 2026 at 04:25 AM
Coverage
2 reports · 1 in Arabic, 1 in English · over 6 hours
Italy will deploy warships to secure safe passage through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced, acting without waiting for a joint European Union decision.
- Crosetto announced he had agreed with the chief of defence staff to move naval units to guarantee safe transit for Italian commercial ships through the strait.
- He said Rome will not wait for a joint EU decision, warning that bureaucratic delays must not complicate an already complex situation.
- Crosetto warned that an impassable waterway would carry severe economic consequences, with shipping costs and delays affecting consumers and businesses.
- The deployment follows a Houthi offensive that brought Yemen's western Red Sea coast under their control, after Iran seized the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year.