Italy Scrambles Warships Toward Red Sea As Houthis Close In On Global Shipping Chokepoint

Italy is preparing to bolster naval protection for merchant shipping in the Red Sea as Houthi forces advance toward one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto says Rome cannot afford to wait for a sluggish European response as the security situation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait deteriorates, according to the Italian Ministry of Defense. The Houthis have proved remarkably difficult to dislodge, routing Saudi-backed forces during their latest offensive while repeatedly striking Saudi oil infrastructure, including the kingdom’s critical East-West Pipeline. Even a seven-week U.S. bombing campaign in 2025 involving more than 1,000 strikes ended in a ceasefire with the Houthis still intact and capable of threatening regional targets.

Italy already participates in the European Union’s Operation Aspides, but Crosetto is calling for additional warships as conflict threatens shipping routes at both ends of the Middle East, Reuters reported.

“After what I said, something moved within Aspides [the European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea], but we need more ships,” Crosetto told Reuters Friday.

The Italian Ministry of Defense, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Pentagon and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.

“NATO Allies recognise the impact of instability and conflict in the southern neighbourhood on their own security,” a NATO official told the DCNF. “Allies regularly discuss a broad range of security challenges including those related to freedom of navigation. On a related note, at the NATO Summit in Ankara, all Allies called on Iran to fully respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz while also reaffirming that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. We want to see peace and stability return to the region as soon as possible.”

Italy and Greece are currently providing the most meaningful European support for the maritime security effort, Crosetto said, though he declined to estimate how many additional vessels would be necessary, Reuters reported. Rome has not disclosed which naval assets it could send or the precise scope of any additional mission.

Italy is not sending a token naval force into the region.

The Italian Navy operates the Cavour aircraft carrier with F-35B stealth fighters, the large Trieste amphibious assault ship, two Horizon-class air-defense destroyers, eight submarines and 10 modern FREMM multi-mission frigates, according to the Italian Navy. Italy has also demonstrated that it can deploy a carrier strike group alongside major NATO navies, including operating Cavour with F-35Bs during high-end allied exercises, according to the Italian Navy.