Italy to deploy warships to protect shipping through Bab al-Mandeb

Italy will deploy warships to ensure safe passage for its commercial vessels through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, according to Defence Minister Guido Crosetto. He warned that if the waterway became impassable, the economic consequences would be severe. The strait, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, is critical for global trade, with roughly 12 to 15 percent of global trade historically passing through it.