Italy announced Thursday it would deploy warships to ensure the safe passage of its commercial ships through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, as maritime security concerns mount off the coast of Yemen.
The country does not intend to wait for a joint decision by the European Union, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said. "We have the capabilities to protect the passage."
Crosetto warned that if the waterway were to become impassable, this would have significant consequences for the economy and consumers.
"We cannot allow bureaucratic delays in decision-making to aggravate an already complex situation," he noted.
Crosetto said he and Italy's chief of defense staff had agreed to mobilize the navy to prepare "whatever is necessary" to guarantee the secure transit of Italian vessels.
The Bab al-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, one of the most important shipping routes between Europe and Asia.
Fears for shipping in the Red Sea have surged this month after the Iran-aligned Houthis brought the entire west coast of Yemen under their control and captured strategically located islands.
This has given the Houthis virtually unrestricted access to the strait, a development seen as a significant setback for Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz and international shipping.
The United States and the European Union have already been attempting to better protect merchant ships from attacks by the rebels through military operations.
Crosetto did not spell out what measures were being considered or what naval assets might be sent to the area.
He said that disruptions to major shipping lanes would drive up transport costs, delay deliveries and ultimately push higher prices onto families and businesses.
"Every economic crisis hits the most vulnerable people hardest, putting social cohesion and the country's stability at risk," he said.
The defense minister also highlighted the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure, including data cables and energy links.
"For a major maritime nation such as Italy, monitoring and protecting the seas, both above and below the surface, means safeguarding its security, its prosperity and its future," he said.
"The Defense Ministry and the Italian Navy will continue to protect the sea, intervening with determination whenever necessary to safeguard national interests and the security of Italians," he said.
