Giada Zampano
13 May 2026•Update: 13 May 2026
Italy is preparing to move two minesweepers closer to the Strait of Hormuz as a precaution while ruling out any immediate request for a new military mission, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Crosetto said the ships would be repositioned in stages — first to the eastern Mediterranean and then to the Red Sea — within existing missions already authorized by parliament.
“As a purely precautionary measure… we are arranging the minesweepers to be positioned relatively closer to the Strait,” Crosetto said.
The ministers sought to reassure parliament that Italy is not expanding its military role without oversight, even as tensions threaten a key global shipping route.
“We do not want to ask to authorize a new military mission in the Gulf,” Tajani said, adding that any eventual participation in an international coalition would come “only after the definitive cessation of hostilities.”
Crosetto stressed that any new operation would require strict conditions: “A new military mission envisages first a real truce, then a legal framework and finally the authorization of Parliament,” he said, describing the situation as “fragile and precarious.”
The session focused on international efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Italy, the ministers said, is acting within the prerogatives of existing foreign missions and sharing its plans “with the utmost transparency.”
Crosetto highlighted the scale of a potential multinational response, saying about 40 countries are considering contributing to securing the waterway, with 24 already signaling willingness to provide specialized capabilities.
Contributions under discussion include ships, support units and mine-neutralization personnel from European and allied countries, alongside existing deployments already in the region.
Crosetto said parallel initiatives, including one promoted by the US, are developing alongside the broader effort. “It is a matter of separate initiatives at the moment, but they will necessarily have to exchange information and coordinate,” he said.
Both ministers framed Italy’s approach as cautious but ready, balancing preparation with diplomatic priorities.
