Italy has huge interests in the Red Sea, yet is reluctant to engage in war

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has made it clear that Italy is not going to war in the Red Sea, but he believes it is important to strengthen European Union (EU) naval operations to protect cargo ships in this important commercial waterway.

He made the remarks while speaking to a popular Italian daily. Recently, an Italian Eurofighter fighter jet was damaged in an attack by the Houthi group on an air base in Saudi Arabia. After the incident, the Houthis said that they had no fight against Italy. And while speaking in that context, Foreign Minister Tajani clarified that Italy is not involved in any war.

The EU's "Aspides" security mission was originally created to protect commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea from Houthi attacks. Tajani said Italy would continue to support the mission even if unrest in the waterway worsens. He called for the mission to be extended and its activities to be strengthened.

Protecting the Red Sea is crucial for Italian trade, as 40 percent of the country's maritime trade and 60 percent of its total goods shipped to Asia pass through this route. Therefore, maintaining peace and security in the Red Sea is also very important for the Italian economy.