Italy prepares national naval escorts in Bab el-Mandeb without waiting for EU mission
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto directed military leaders on 17 September 2026 to prepare naval escorts for merchant ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, citing risks to trade and energy flows.
Naval mobilization and EU mission bypass
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced on 17 September 2026 that Italy is preparing national naval operations to escort merchant ships through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Speaking at the fourth edition of the Risorsa Mare Forum in La Spezia, Crosetto stated that Rome will not wait for the European Union's Aspides mission to determine whether commercial vessels can safely navigate the passage. Italy intends to mobilize naval assets to secure the transit of ships carrying national economic interests through the corridor.
Together with the Chief of Staff, we have decided not to wait for Aspides to decide whether ships can pass or not.
Crosetto directed Chief of Defence Staff Luciano Portolano, Chief of Naval Staff Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, and Joint Operations Command commander Giovanni Maria Iannucci to conduct an operational assessment and draft a transit security plan. Defence officials are examining whether Italian military assets already deployed in the wider region can be transferred to national command, or whether the government must obtain a specific mandate from Parliament in line with steps taken by allied nations.
- War in Yemen begins, making coastal control along the strait contested
- Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, shifting Gulf oil export routes toward the Red Sea
- Italy announces independent naval planning to protect national merchant vessels
Strategic threat in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, measuring approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) at its narrowest point between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. Between 12% and 15% of global trade historically moves through the waterway, which carries container freight, crude oil, and liquefied natural gas between Europe and Asia. Coastal control around the passage has remained contested since the conflict in Yemen began in 2015.
Security risks mounted after Houthi forces completed an offensive that placed the entire western Red Sea coast of Yemen and several strategic offshore islands under their control. The importance of the strait grew after Iran seized control of the Strait of Hormuz earlier in 2026 during military clashes with the United States and Israel. That closure forced Gulf producers, particularly Saudi Arabia, to pipe crude oil across the Arabian Peninsula to Red Sea ports, making Bab el-Mandeb an essential remaining maritime outlet for international energy supplies.
Economic risks and undersea infrastructure
Crosetto stressed that commercial shipping disruptions in the Red Sea directly threaten domestic economic stability by driving up freight costs and delaying cargo arrivals. Higher shipping rates push consumer prices higher for households and businesses, with lower-income citizens facing the heaviest financial pressure. Crosetto confirmed that ports in Djibouti remain operational, but argued that direct naval protection is needed to restore normal commercial navigation for Italian vessels.
We cannot allow bureaucratic delays in decision-making to aggravate an already complex situation, with direct consequences for our economy and the lives of our citizens.
The defence ministry also pointed to risks facing critical subsea infrastructure in the waterway, including undersea data telecommunication cables and energy pipelines. Italian military officials stated that the navy will maintain surface and subsurface surveillance to protect essential trade routes, with the final operational framework and vessel numbers to be reviewed with the Italian government and Parliament.
