Italy says it will deploy warships to protect Italian commercial shipping through Bab al-Mandeb.
Why it matters: Bab al-Mandeb is a critical route for Europe-Asia trade, including oil, gas and container traffic. Italy's move shows how Red Sea security risks are affecting shipping, energy flows and military posture, while leaving key details of the mission unresolved.
- Italy said it will send warships to help ensure safe passage for Italian commercial ships through Bab al-Mandeb.
- Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy would not wait for a joint EU decision before acting.
- Crosetto framed the deployment as an economic necessity and warned of severe consequences if the chokepoint became impassable.
- The EU's EUNAVFOR ASPIDES mission covers Bab al-Mandeb and was created to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea crisis.
Italy said it will deploy warships to protect Italian commercial ships transiting Bab al-Mandeb, the narrow chokepoint linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. What Italy decided, exactly, is to move naval assets in support of its own shipping. What remains unclear from the reporting is the mission's scope, timing and rules of engagement.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy had the capability to protect passage and would not wait for a broader EU decision before acting, according to ANSA. Al Jazeera reported that Crosetto described the move as a response to rising risk in the corridor and said Italy was moving to keep commercial traffic flowing. Al Jazeera
The defense minister also cast the deployment as an economic necessity, warning that if Bab al-Mandeb became impassable the fallout would hit Italy and broader commerce. The reporting did not spell out how many ships Italy would send or when they would begin patrols. It also did not specify whether the deployment would operate independently of, or alongside, the EU's Aspides mission.
Bab al-Mandeb matters because it is a key lane for Europe-Asia trade, including oil, gas and containers. Al Jazeera said roughly 12% to 15% of global trade has historically passed through the waterway. Reuters reported that shipping through Bab al-Mandeb had fallen about 60% since Houthi attacks began in late 2023. Reuters
The EU says its EUNAVFOR ASPIDES operation was created to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea crisis and that its area of operations includes Bab al-Mandeb. The mission was extended through Feb. 28, 2027, after a February 2026 Council decision, according to the EU External Action Service.
By the numbers
- 12%-15% - share of global trade Al Jazeera said has historically passed through Bab al-Mandeb
- 60% - drop in shipping through Bab al-Mandeb after Houthi attacks began, according to Reuters
Yes, but: The reporting does not yet say how many warships Italy will send, when they will deploy or whether the mission will run independently of the EU force.