Italy to deploy navy to protect Italian shipping through Bab el-Mandeb Strait

On 18 September 2026 Italy announced it will mobilise naval forces to protect Italian merchant vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said, citing escalating clashes along Yemen’s western coast that are disrupting navigation and threatening key Red Sea trade routes.

If sustained, the announced Italian naval protection could reduce immediate disruption risk for Italian-flagged vessels but will not eliminate wider insurance and freight premia across Red Sea routes. Higher shipping costs and insurance could still raise import bills, pressuring reserves, inflation and sovereign spreads for vulnerable Horn of Africa importers (notably Djibouti and Eritrea) that rely on the corridor or face longer rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope.

Look for confirmation of the deployment timeline and whether EU or coalition partners join Italy’s operation within two weeks.