Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb

Italy’s defence minister warns of severe economic fallout if Bab al-Mandeb becomes impassable, bypassing EU delays.Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026Italy will deploy warships to ensure safe passage for its commercial vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, adding that Rome would not wait for a joint decision from the European Union.“We have the capabilities to protect the passage,” Crosetto said, warning that if the waterway became impassable, the economic consequences would be severe.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Djibouti calls for assistance as thousands of Yemenis flee to countrylist 2 of 3Yemeni forces target Houthis as US rules out direct rolelist 3 of 3‘They called us’: Has Trump abandoned Bab al-Mandeb to the Houthis?end of listThe Italian defence minister said that Rome “must not allow bureaucratic delays in decision-making to exacerbate an already complex situation”.Bab al-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, forming one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors between Europe and Asia and a critical route for oil, gas and container traffic heading to and from the Suez Canal.Roughly 12 to 15 percent of glob...