Italy wants the European Union's Aspides naval mission to move beyond the Red Sea and into the Strait of Hormuz, a widening that would put the bloc's defensive force into one of the world's most sensitive waterways. Defense Minister Guido Crozetto said the talks among member states are aimed at allowing the EU to expand maritime security operations, including protection of the strait.
Crozetto said hostilities must stop before any ships are sent and added that no one wants to get involved in a war. He also said Rome is ready to use Aspides in the Strait of Hormuz as part of broader international efforts to secure the passage, a route that carries about 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies.
The push comes as questions grow over whether the EU can stretch the mandate of Aspides beyond the Red Sea after the start of hostilities against Iran. The mission was launched in February 2024 to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden after repeated attacks by Yemeni Houthis, escorting ships and repelling threats to keep navigation open.
Italy already has a sizable role in the operation, with one destroyer and two frigates assigned to Aspides. A source close to Crozetto said the mission could work inside a much broader alliance that should also include Asian states because of their dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.
The source said Crozetto does not rule out a mission without the United Nations and would not object if it were led exclusively by 42 countries with a mandate and a multilateral peacekeeping force. Crozetto also said Italy could consider sending demining equipment, and that he had told the chief of defense and the navy 20 days ago to be ready with two ships.
For Italy, the question is no longer whether Aspides can be sustained in the Red Sea. It is whether the same mission can be stretched into a broader security role in the Gulf without crossing the line from deterrence into conflict.
