Italy is preparing a possible naval mission to protect its merchant ships near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as worsening security conditions around Yemen raise fresh concerns over one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said he and Italy’s chief of defence staff had agreed to mobilise the navy and prepare “whatever is necessary” to guarantee the safe transit of Italian vessels. He warned that delays in responding to threats in the area could increase transport costs, disrupt deliveries and feed directly into higher prices for Italian households and businesses. Rome has not yet said which naval assets could be sent or whether any deployment would operate independently or through an existing European mission.
The move comes as security around Bab el-Mandeb deteriorates again. The Iran-aligned Houthis have expanded their control along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including territory overlooking the strait, while attacks on Saudi infrastructure and commercial shipping have intensified. Roughly 12% of global trade normally passes through Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea on the way to or from the Suez Canal, making instability there a direct threat to shipping between Asia and Europe.
Italy already contributes to the European Union’s Operation ASPIDES, which was established in 2024 to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waters. The EU extended the mission until February 2027 earlier this year and later expanded its mandate to include monitoring threats to undersea infrastructure and closer cooperation with regional maritime forces. An Italian frigate operating under ASPIDES escorted a merchant vessel through the Red Sea as recently as August.
Crosetto also highlighted the risk to infrastructure beneath the sea, including communications cables and energy links. He argued that maritime security for Italy is no longer simply about protecting individual ships but also about defending the trade, energy and digital networks on which the country depends. Nearly 90% of global goods trade moves by sea, according to figures cited by the Italian Defence Ministry, giving any prolonged disruption around the Red Sea potentially wide economic consequences.
The Bab el-Mandeb route has become even more important because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also been disrupted by the wider Gulf conflict. Vessel traffic through Hormuz remained well below recent averages this week, increasing pressure on alternative export routes through the Red Sea. Data showed only four commodity vessels transiting Hormuz on Thursday compared with a recent average of 16, while traffic through Bab el-Mandeb remained closer to normal levels.
For now, Rome is still in the preparation phase. Crosetto has not announced a combat operation, nor has he detailed rules of engagement or the number of ships that could be involved. But the decision to place the navy on higher readiness reflects how quickly the Red Sea crisis is moving from a regional security problem into a direct economic concern for European governments.
