Italy To Deploy Warships In Bab-El-Mandeb To Protect Its Commercial Vessels From Houthis

Italy has decided to send its naval ships to protect the freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait before it becomes impassable, given the recent seizure of Perim Island by the Houthi Group.

The Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said that Italy would not wait for the European Union to back its decision, adding that Rome can safeguard the critical shipping route, which must be done before the situation becomes even more complicated.

He added that delays related to bureaucratic decisions must not be allowed in the present situation.

The Bab El-Mandeb Strait is a maritime chokepoint which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It lies between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa.

The waterway handles 12% of global maritime trade and 10% of the total oil trade, making it a critical route for moving energy cargoes between Europe and Asia.

At its narrowest, the strait is just 26 to 29 km wide and serves as the southern gateway to the Suez Canal. Its importance has increased even more since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to normal shipping operations by Iran.

Bab El-Mandeb is divided into 2 channels, the Alexander Strait and the Mayun Channel, in the east and the west, by Perim Island, which is now under Houthi control.

This is a major cause for concern for all countries, but especially for Saudi Arabia, which is struggling to export its crude after the Houthis imposed a blockade on its ports, attacked the East-West pipeline, damaging two pumping stations and now gained control over Bab El-Mandeb.

In a recent meeting organised by Oman in Muscat, U.S. Embassy Officials met Houthi representatives, where the latter warned Washington to stay out of its conflict with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and also clarified that they do not intend to attack Israeli or American ships.

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he remains in contact with both sides. Bab el-Mandeb Strait has been a contested waterway for a long time.

The government of Yemen and Houthis have had several skirmishes over control of its coastline at different times since the war began in Yemen in 2015.

However, as of now, Houthis seem to have the upper hand, as the group recently seized a significant part of Yemen’s Red Sea Coast along with the Port of Mocha and many islands.

This means the Houthis have unrestricted access to the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, which is a major setback for the shipping industry since the group has launched attacks on ships linked to the U.S. or its allies.

The European Union and Washington have launched several missions to protect ships from Houthis in the region, though they continue to struggle since fighting in Yemen has increased and Houthis have expanded their areas of influence.

The naval capabilities of the U.S. remain limited as it is embroiled in a war with Iran, which began in February after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on the Islamic Republic.