Red Sea, Crosetto: ‘Italia is not at war’. The Houthis: ‘Your planes are in Saudi Arabia’
The Defence Minister points out that he has reported on this matter on several occasions to Parliament, as have the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Commander of the Covi, the Foreign Secretary and the Under-Secretaries of State for Defence. The Houthis: ‘We are not at war with Italia, but your aircraft are in Saudi Arabia’
Key points
On the issue of Houthi threats to maritime navigation in the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has decided to set the record straight and, in a statement, clarifies: ‘Italia is not at war. Parliament has not been “excluded” from anything. The Quirinale has not been kept in the dark about anything.’
In the statement, Crosetto describes the headline in *Il Fatto Quotidiano* on 19 September (“Italia at war without telling the Italians or the President”) as “false, offensive, misleading and extremely serious” and maintains that the Italian military presence in Saudi Arabia has never been a secret. The minister points out that he has reported on this matter on several occasions in Parliament, as have the Chief of the General Staff, the Commander of the Joint Operational Command (COVI), the Foreign Secretary and the Under-Secretaries of State for Defence.
The Minister: I did not downplay the attack on the Italian Eurofighter
Crosetto also rejects the accusation that he downplayed the attack on a Italian Eurofighter. “I followed the incident personally, reported it and requested operational assessments regarding the safety of our personnel,” he states, adding that he had monitored developments following the attack and checked on the condition of the service personnel involved.
According to the minister, *Il Fatto Quotidiano* is fabricating ‘a case that does not exist’, by conflating ‘different missions and decisions taken in accordance with precise and standard procedures’ to construct a political narrative that is not supported by the facts.
Crosetto also commented on the presence of Italian ships in the Red Sea, pointing out that they are operating as part of Aspides, a European Union mission with a specific mandate. ‘The ships belong to the Italian Republic and the Italian Navy,’ he states. ‘Defence is not, nor will it ever be, a minister’s plaything,’ concludes Crosetto, emphasising that military activities are carried out within the framework of ‘specific laws, mandates, procedures and responsibilities’ and that decisions are taken by Parliament. Finally, he describes as a ‘political smear’ the accusation that the government and the minister have secretly dragged Italia into war.
