ISTANBUL

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto warned of a terrorism risk Thursday because of tensions in the Middle East with US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

"Direct attacks on Italy by Iran or its proxies, such as Hezbollah, are currently not considered likely. The primary risk, however, is terrorism," Crosetto told broadcaster RTL 102.5.

He argued that there are an estimated "hundreds of Iranian sleeper cells" around the world, "seemingly ordinary individuals, but they can be activated at any time to carry out attacks, including suicide bombings."

"These networks have been present for years and are spread globally. This represents the primary internal threat to countries not directly involved in the conflict," he said.

Crosetto noted that the situation in the Middle East is "very difficult and complex," arguing that Washington may have assumed that targeting the regime in Tehran would be sufficient to trigger a response leading to a change in Iran’s leadership.

"Instead, they are realizing that Iran's reaction, likely planned in advance, is to unleash chaos, taking the conflict beyond the conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States, involving all the Gulf countries," he said.

Crosetto also underscored that the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz affects all of the world's economies. "The rest of the world, which did not want this war but is suffering its consequences, must now manage a crisis that affects everyone."

"The wisest response should not be a military presence limited to American or Israeli allies, but an international presence. If, however, we want to ensure the security of the strait, we need to create an international convoy, involving the United Nations and all major powers," he added.

Crosetto said that such a presence would ensure that Iran does not perceive the initiative as an attack, leading to the restoration of the transit through the strait.