Italy to deploy warships to protect Red Sea shipping through Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Italy is preparing to deploy warships to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to protect its merchant shipping, bypassing European Union bureaucratic delays. The decision, announced by Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on September 17, 2026, comes as Iran-backed Houthi forces seize Yemen's western coast, threatening a waterway that carries 40% of Italy's global trade. The strait has become a critical alternative route for Gulf oil exports following Iran's seizure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year.

Italian warship deployment plans

• ▪Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced on September 17, 2026, that Italy is preparing a naval mission to deploy warships to safeguard Italian merchant shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
• ▪Assarmatori President Stefano Messina welcomed the Italian government's decision to prepare a naval mission in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, stating the Italian Navy is capable of operating while awaiting European Union decisions
• ▪Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated that Italy decided to mobilize its navy independently to avoid bureaucratic delays in European Union decision-making that could harm Italy's economy.

Houthi Red Sea advances

• ▪The Houthi advance along the western coast of Yemen has given the group unrestricted access to the Bab el-Mandeb waterway, threatening international shipping and Saudi oil exports.
• ▪The Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen recently seized control of Yemen's western Red Sea coast, including strategically located islands overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Bab al-Mandeb shipping security

• ▪Historically, roughly 12% to 15% of global trade has transited through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which serves as a key corridor for oil, gas, and container traffic.
• ▪According to the shipowners' association Assarmatori, approximately 40% of Italy's global trade passes through the Suez Canal via the Bab el-Mandeb route.
• ▪The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical maritime route measuring 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, separating Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea.

EU Aspides mission inadequacy

• ▪Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto called for a stronger naval presence in the Red Sea, stating that only Italy and Greece are actively supporting security efforts within the European Union's Aspides mission, launched in 2024
• ▪The European Union's Aspides mission was launched in 2024 to protect merchant shipping from Houthi attacks, but has struggled to fully secure the Red Sea route as fighting in Yemen escalated.

Rerouted Gulf oil exports

• ▪According to data from Kpler, petroleum volumes transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait accounted for approximately 7% of global oil output in June 2026.
• ▪Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on pipelines and Red Sea shipping to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, making the Bab el-Mandeb Strait a critical remaining artery for Gulf oil exports.

Debatable claims

• ▪Italy should deploy its navy independently to protect Red Sea shipping
• ▪EU member states should increase their naval presence in the Red Sea