Italy is preparing a naval mission and calling for a stronger international presence in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy could not wait for European Union procedures to respond to the worsening security crisis, although Rome has not detailed the measures or naval assets it may deploy. Italy is part of the EU’s Aspides mission, launched in 2024 to protect shipping from Houthi attacks, and has a frigate in Djibouti while around a dozen Italian-flagged or Italian-owned vessels seek escorted passage. Crosetto said more ships are needed and identified Italy and Greece as the main nations supporting regional security efforts. The Iran-backed Houthis have advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, while traffic through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has already declined because of the U.S.-Iran war. The Bab el-Mandeb carried about 7% of global oil output in June, and about 40% of Italy’s international trade passes through the Suez Canal.