17 September 2026 | 18:07
READING: 2 minutes
“I have decided, together with the Chief of the General Staff, given the difficult situation re-emerging at Bab el-Mandeb alongside that at Hormuz, not to wait for Aspides to decide whether ships can pass and how they should do so.” Said Defence Minister Guido Crosetto while speaking at the fourth edition of the ‘Risorsa Mare’ forum in La Spezia.
“With our Navy we are able to guarantee passage and, through our services sector, to obtain information and share it with the armed forces. We will likely act so that Italian ships can transit without waiting for European bureaucracy to add to our procedures and delay operations — delays that in cases like this mean slowing down the economy.”
He added: “When a sea route is disrupted, goods are delayed, costs rise and prices increase for households and businesses. Every economic crisis hits the most vulnerable hardest, putting social cohesion and national stability at risk. Defending freedom of navigation therefore means protecting our supplies, companies’ operations, households’ purchasing power and Italy’s ability to generate wealth. It also means defending what lies beneath the sea surface: the cables that carry data, energy links and other essential infrastructure whose value we often understand only when they are damaged. Today the role of Defence goes far beyond its traditional scope. It is not only about physically protecting the territory from possible threats, but also about economic, energy, digital and communications security. A nation can be harmed not only by bombs but also by undermining its economy, social cohesion and citizens’ trust in institutions.”
“Almost 90% of global goods traffic travels by sea. For a major maritime nation like Italy, safeguarding it above and below the surface means defending our security, prosperity and future. The sea has been part of our history for centuries and is one of our main sources of wealth. Defence and the Navy will continue to protect it,” he concludes, “acting concretely whenever it is necessary to safeguard national interests and the security of Italians.”