Italy announced on Wednesday that two of the Italian Navy’s minesweepers were moving closer to the Strait of Hormuz, in preparation for a future multinational defensive mission in the waterway.
The Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, stressed that the minesweepers will be only used for defensive purposes once a deal to end the war in Iran is reached, reported the Italian ANSA news agency.
“Should peace break out, it would take almost a month of sailing for all the allied nations’ units to reach the Gulf,” he told the parliament.
“As a precaution, we are arranging for two minesweepers to be positioned relatively close to the Strait: initially in the Eastern Mediterranean, then in the Red Sea,” the Minister explained.
Importantly, he emphasized that Italy’s participation in the potential mission will not take place without a prior approval from lawmakers, according to AFP.
The US-Israeli war with Iran has disrupted passage through Hormuz, as Iran has blocked transit through the Strait without its permission, while the US has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
The UK and France have launched a multinational defensive mission to protect commercial shipping through the maritime corridor and conduct mine clearance operations when conditions permit.
Both countries said they are “pre-positioning” warships in the region. The UK has deployed its HMS Dragon destroyer to the Middle East few days after France moved its Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier Group into the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Meanwhile, Australia said it will join the UK-French mission, contributing a Wedgetail E-7A surveillance aircraft. “Australia stands ready to support an independent and strictly defensive multinational military mission, led by the UK and France, once it is established,” Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Wednesday.
