ROME, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Continued disruption in the Red Sea threatens to destabilize Italy’s economy and alienate ports in southern Europe, Italy’s defense minister said on Thursday.
Since mid-November, attacks on commercial ships by the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who control densely populated areas of Yemen, have disrupted international shipping, causing some companies to halt shipments through the Red Sea. Instead, they are forced to take a much longer and more expensive journey around the south. Africa.
“From a geopolitical point of view, if this situation continues, Mediterranean ports could be marginalized,” Defense Minister Guido Crosset told parliamentarians on the national defense committee.
“It not only threatens navigational safety, but also (Italy’s) economic stability.”
The minister said commercial traffic through the Suez Canal, which he estimates accounts for about 40% of Italy’s total maritime trade, had fallen by 38% by the last week of 2023. Sailing time has increased by 10 to 12 days and costs have increased by almost five times, he added.
Crossetto said that within the framework of the European operation in the area called Aspides, Italy is considering sending aircraft to carry out surveillance and data collection tasks, in addition to the warships it will provide for 12 months. . (Reporting by Julia Segreti; Editing by Keith Weir)