Italy to Deploy Warships to Protect Commercial Shipping Through Bab al-Mandeb

Italy will deploy warships to protect its commercial vessels travelling through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said, as rising tensions in Yemen threaten one of the world’s key shipping routes. Crosetto said Italy has the capabilities to protect the passage and warned that the economic consequences could be severe if the waterway becomes impassable. He also said Rome would not wait for a joint European Union decision if delays in decision-making risked worsening the situation. Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major mariti

Italy will deploy warships to protect its commercial vessels travelling through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said, as rising tensions in Yemen threaten one of the world’s key shipping routes. Crosetto said Italy has the capabilities to protect the passage and warned that the economic consequences could be severe if the waterway becomes impassable. He also said Rome would not wait for a joint European Union decision if delays in decision-making risked worsening the situation. Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a major maritime corridor between Europe and Asia. The narrow strait, located between Yemen and the African countries of Djibouti and Eritrea, is an important route for oil, gas and container shipments travelling to and from the Suez Canal. Historically, around 12 to 15 percent of global trade has passed through the waterway. Its importance has increased further as disruptions elsewhere have forced Gulf energy exporters, including Saudi Arabia, to rely more heavily on alternative routes through the Red Sea. The security situation has deteriorated as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has expanded its control along the western Red Sea coast and taken strategically located islands, according to the report. The group has previously attacked commercial vessels it associates with the United States and its allies. The United States and European countries have already carried out military operations aimed at protecting merchant ships from Houthi attacks. Italy’s planned deployment adds another European military presence to efforts to keep the strategically important shipping corridor open as fighting in Yemen continues.