EditItaly to escort its own ships through Bab el-Mandeb without waiting for the EU
The frigate "Carlo Bergamini" is currently docked at the port of Djibouti, at least a dozen Italian merchant ships are waiting to cross the strait under escort
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has announced that Italy will act autonomously to ensure the transit of Italian merchant ships through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without waiting for the European Union’s Aspides mission.
“I decided, together with the Chief of the Defence Staff, given the difficult situation resurfacing in the strait, which adds to that in Hormuz, not to wait for Aspides to decide whether ships can pass or not and how to let them pass,” Crosetto said, during the fourth edition of the “Risorsa Mare” forum, underway in La Spezia. The minister added that the Italian Navy is “capable of guaranteeing passage” thanks to information gathered by the intelligence services and shared with the armed forces.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, has again become a target for the Yemeni Shiite militia Ansar Allah (better known as the Houthis), who control large parts of the coast and the historic capital Sana’a. The mere threat of an attack has already suspended part of the commercial traffic in the area, extending shipping times and raising the cost of transporting goods.
The frigate “Carlo Bergamini” is currently docked at the port of Djibouti, while according to Defence sources at least a dozen Italian merchant ships are waiting to cross the strait under escort.
The reasons behind the choice and relations with Brussels
According to the minister, waiting for European Union bureaucracy through the Aspides mission would mean “delaying the economy” and “worsening the problems” linked to the blockage of traffic. For Crosetto, safeguarding the sea is “fundamental not only from a military standpoint” but also for the country’s economic and social security, given that nearly 90% of goods traffic passes by sea.
The move comes in a context where the Aspides mission, activated by the European Union to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea, has not yet provided guidance on the passage of Italian ships. The national initiative announced by Crosetto has been read by some observers as an implicit distancing from Brussels, accused of having left Rome without timely answers.
However, Crosetto specified that the operational decision is not yet final at this stage.
“I am not deciding now,” he said, adding that any deployment of military units to escort the merchant ships will be assessed together with the Government and Parliament. The minister instructed Defence leadership to carry out an assessment of the operational and security situation in the Red Sea and to draw up a plan to guarantee free transit through the strait.
Crosetto also specified that the Djibouti area is not affected by Houthi actions and that the objective remains limited to restoring traffic for Italian ships through Bab el-Mandeb.
The article in Italian by EUalive’s partner FocusEurope.it can be found here.
Caption: Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto attends a press conference after his meeting with Polish Defence Minister at the Ministry of National Defence headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, 15 September 2026. EPA/Pawel Supernak
Updated: September 18, 2026 - 11:43
