Italy to Protect Ships in Bab al-Mandeb Without Waiting for EU

We will not wait for a collective EU decision, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, announcing Italy will deploy warships to protect commercial vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. He said Italy has the capabilities to protect the passage and that he and the chief of defense staff agreed to mobilize the navy to prepare whatever is necessary. He did not specify the assets or measures. The step followed a Houthi offensive last week that took Yemen's entire west coast and captured strategically located islands, giving the militia virtually unrestricted access to the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a key Europe-Asia route. The development is seen as a setback for Saudi Arabia and Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz. Crosetto warned disruption would raise transport costs, delay deliveries and raise prices for families and businesses. Every economic crisis hits the most vulnerable people hardest, putting social cohesion and the country's stability at risk, he said. He also highlighted undersea data cables and energy links. The United States and European Union are already working to protect merchant ships from Houthi attacks via military operations. 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, Crosetto said.