The big picture. Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea have triggered a coordinated European response, with Italy playing a leading role. Rome has integrated its naval presence with strategic partners like India and the United Arab Emirates, particularly through the EU-led Atalanta and Aspides operations.
- The maritime corridor connecting the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific—known as the Indo-Mediterranean—is vital to global trade. Security along these routes is increasingly jeopardised by Houthi escalation, with the group now threatening all vessels linked to Israeli ports, regardless of their flag or destination.
Italy’s position. Crosetto’s visit to Egypt was part of a broader effort to project Italian influence in the region.
- He met with Italian personnel deployed in the MFO, the international mission established in 1978 to monitor the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
- He underscored the mission’s strategic importance in ensuring regional stability and maintaining oversight of the Strait of Tiran—an essential access point for Israel to the Red Sea.
What Crosetto said. “Behind every commercial ship you escort lies a piece of a citizen’s life. Your work is often silent, yet crucial to collective security,” Crosetto said during a visit to the Andrea Doria, the Italian Navy destroyer returning from Operation Aspides.
- The visit also reaffirmed institutional support for Italian military personnel engaged in international missions.
Europe’s response. After sinking two Greece-managed bulk carriers (Magic Seas and Eternity C), Athens deployed a recovery vessel to the Red Sea. According to EU officials, this marks the first significant escalation of 2025, with direct implications for:
- Maritime security
- Global trade flows
- The humanitarian situation in Yemen
What operators fear–again. Shipping companies are increasingly concerned that the renewed wave of attacks by the Yemeni militia could lead to further global economic and logistical disruptions.
