Securing Red Sea shipping lanes
Italy Plans Unilateral Warship Deployment to Protect Vital Bab al-Mandeb Shipping Route
Anonymous
Key Points
1
The Bab al-Mandeb has historically carried roughly 12% to 15% of global trade and is only about 30 kilometers (19 miles) wide at its narrowest point, underscoring its vulnerability as a chokepoint.
2
Crosetto said he and Italy’s chief of defence staff had agreed to mobilize the navy and prepare “whatever is necessary” to guarantee the secure transit of Italian vessels, though he did not specify which ships or measures might be used.
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Control of the strait has been contested since Yemen’s war began in 2015, with Yemen’s government, Houthi forces and other regional actors holding different stretches of the coastline at various times.
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Italy’s planned action would add to existing U.S. and European Union military operations intended to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks in the region.
Italy will deploy warships to protect its merchant ships through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait without waiting for EU approval, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced in September 2026. The Print reported that Crosetto said Rome has the naval capability to secure passage and warned that a closure would disrupt global trade, raise shipping costs, and threaten critical undersea infrastructure.
The move follows Iran-backed Houthi forces capturing Perim Island and gaining control of Yemen's western Red Sea coast. Market Screener noted the strait carries 12-15% of global trade and is just 26-29 kilometers wide at its narrowest point, making it vulnerable to disruption as a critical chokepoint between Europe and Asia.
I t al y Re je ct s E U De l ay s t o Ac t A l o ne
Cr o s et t o sa id I t al y will no t w ait fo r E u r o p e an b ur e au cr acy o r a j oi nt E U dec is io n t o p r o t ec t it s v e ss el s . The Print r e po rt ed t hat he st at ed , ' W e c an n ot al l o w b ur e au cr at ic del ay s in d ec i s io n- m aki ng t o agg r av at e an al r e ady c o mpl ex s it uat io n . ' He al s o no t ed t hat wh il e ' s o met hi ng m o v ed w it hi n A s pid es ' afte r hi s ann o u nc e m ent , E u r o p e n e ed s m o r e sh ip s t o s e cu r e t he s t r ait .
Italy pl an s t o p r o v id e mil it ary e sc o rt s fo r ap p r o xi m at el y 1 2 I t al ian- fl ag g ed m er ch ant v es s el s c ur r ent ly w ait i ng n e ar Dj ib o ut i . My India r ep o rt ed t hat t he it al ian s hip o wn er s ' as s o c iat io n p r ai s ed t he g o v er n m ent ' s w il li n g n es s t o c ir c um v ent E U del ay s and c it ed i m m ed i at e r i sk s t o c o m m er c ial fl eet s .
H o ut hi s C ap t ur e S t r at eg ic I sl and s Al o ng R ed S e a
I ran -b ack ed H o ut hi f o r c es exp and ed c o nt r ol o v er Y em en ' s w est er n c o ast in e , c apt ur i ng P er i m I sl and and g ain i ng f ul l o p er at io nal c o nt r ol o v er t he n ar r o w w at er w ay . My India n o t ed t h at t hi s m o v e gi v es t he g r o up d ir ect o v er s i ght o v er al l t r aff ic en t er i ng t he s o ut h er n gat e w ay o f t he S ue z C an al . T he c o nt r ol t hr eat en s S au di A r abi a , wh ich has i n cr e as i ng ly r eli ed o n P er s i an G u lf s hip p i ng t o r o ut e o il e xp o rt s.
The st r ait i s o nl y 2 6 -2 9 ki l o m et er s w id e at i t s n ar r o w es t p o int and h is t o r i c al ly h as c ar r i ed 1 2 -1 5% o f g l o bal m ar it i m e t r ad e . Market Screener r e p o rt ed t h at 7% o f gl o bal o il o ut p ut t r ansi t ed t he B ab al - M and eb as o f J u n e 2 0 2 6 , em p h as iz ing i t s st r at eg ic i m p o r t an c e.
Gl o bal S u ppl y C h ain s F ac e L o ng er , C o st li er R o ut e s
W it h t he B ab al - M and eb un d er H o ut hi t hr eat , m er ch ant s hip s m ay f o r ce d t o t ak e al t er n at iv e r o ut es ar o und A fr ic a' s C ap e o f G o o d H o p e , ad di ng 1 0 -1 4 d ay s t o v o y ag es . The Print r e p o rt ed t h at C r o s et t o w ar n ed s u ch del ay s w o ul d r ais e t r ansp o r t at io n c o st s, sl o w del iv er i es , har m c o nsum er s and b u s i n es s es , and j e o p ar diz e e n er gy and und er s e a dat a inf r ast r u ct ur e .
Ital y 's e c o n o mi c v ul n er ab il it y is sig n if ic ant — app r o xi m at el y 4 0% o f it s t o t al i nt er n at io n al t r ad e p ass es t hr o u gh t he S u ez C an al and B ab al - M and eb . Market Screener no t ed t h at ext end ed b yp ass r o ut es t r ig g er s h ar p i n cr e as es in fr ei gh t r at es and c o nt ai n er c o st s , d ir ec t ly i m p act i ng c o nsum er p r ic es ac r o ss E ur o p e .
U S and E U C o nt i nu e O p er at io n s in t he R eg io n
It al y ' s pl ann ed d epl o y m ent w il l ad d t o exi st i ng U .S . and E u r o p e an U n io n mil it ary o p er at io ns i nt end ed t o p r o t ect m er ch ant s hi ps f r o m H o ut hi att ack s . My India r e p o rt ed t hat t he E U ' s Op er at io n A s pid es , l aun ch ed in F ebr uar y 2 0 2 4 , h as b e e n wo r k i ng t o s e c ur e t he co r r id o r , al t h o u gh c ur r ent m i ss io n s l ack suf fi c i ent v ess el n um b ers t o h and l e t h e r en e w ed t hr eat .
Crosett o n o t ed t hat un il at er al n at io n al d epl o y m ent s m ay un d er m i n e c o h esi v e m ul t il at er al ef f o rt s , al t h o ugh h e ar g u ed t h at act u al s ec ur it y t hr eat s m ake i m m ed i at e ital i an ac t io n ess ent i al . The Print r ep o rt ed t h at o nl y I t al y and G r e ec e ar e ' r e al ly s upp o rt i ng ' s ec ur it y ef f o rt s i n t he r eg io n .
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