Italy readies navy to protect its shipping

ROME:

Italy is preparing for a possible naval mission to safeguard its merchant shipping as security concerns mount in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday.

Crosetto said he and Italy's chief of defence staff had agreed to mobilise the navy to prepare "whatever is necessary" to guarantee the secure transit of Italian vessels, arguing that delays in responding to mounting maritime risks could have direct consequences for the economy and consumers.

Fears for shipping in the Red Sea have surged this month after the Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of parts of Yemen's coast that overlook the Bab el-Mandeb, threatening Saudi oil exports rerouted from the Strait of Hormuz.