Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Italy is preparing to deploy warships to protect its commercial vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint now under significant Houthi influence. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced the decision on Thursday, September 17, 2026, stating that Italy would not wait for a joint European Union decision to act. The deployment is a direct response to the recent seizure of Perim Island and other strategic locations along Yemen's Red Sea coast by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. This advance has given the Houthis virtually unrestricted access to the strait, a narrow waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The strait is a vital corridor for global trade, handling an estimated 12 to 15 percent of maritime commerce and a significant portion of oil shipments. Crosetto emphasized the urgency of the mission, warning that if the waterway were to become impassable, the economic consequences would be severe. "We cannot allow bureaucratic delays in decisionmaking to aggravate an already complex situation, with direct consequences for our economy and the lives of our citizens," he said.