Hormuz: Rome's yes to the mission even without the UN, but Parliament's OK needed

Italy is there. At the 'neutral' mission to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, announced on Friday 17 April in Paris, our country is ready to participate. On two conditions: that it has an 'exclusively defensive posture' and that it is only launched 'when there is a cessation of hostilities, in coordination with all regional and international actors'. Instead, the other peg invoked so far by Rome, namely the UN umbrella, has fallen. The urgency of averting the energy and economic crisis is incompatible with the vetoes paralysing the United Nations: for the government, relieved by the ceasefire in Lebanon and confident in the resumption of negotiations between the US and Iran, it is now important to be effective and rapid.

Italy's 'yes' was confirmed by Giorgia Meloni, who flew to the French capital to attend together with Emmanuel Macron (with whom she exchanged smiles and kisses: the russles seem to have been suspended), Friedrich Merz and Keir Starmer at the video conference of the 49 Volunteers for Hormuz. "Italia offers its readiness to make its own naval units available, on the basis of a necessary parliamentary authorisation for what are our constitutional rules," he spelled out during the joint statements at the Elysée Palace.

The model, the premier pointed out, is that of European missions such as Atalanta off the coast of Somalia and, above all, Aspides in the Red Sea, activated since 2024 to protect against the Houthis. "Reopening Hormuz is a central issue," Meloni added, citing vital energy resources and fertilisers. It is 'affirming a cardinal principle of international law, which also applies to any other passage on which global supply chains depend'.

With the green light to an intervention in the Strait, Italia sends a twofold message: it demonstrates a concrete effort for stability in the area and intensifies coordination with its main European partners. It is significant that Rome has adopted an intermediate position between Paris and Berlin on the presence of the United States in the mission: unlike Merz, Meloni does not consider it a conditio sine qua non to take part, but neither does she exclude it as Macron did, who would like to involve only the 'non-belligerent countries'.

The first step, however, will be the definition of the means to be sent: the point will be made at the technical-military summit planned in London next week. Meloni mentioned the 'concrete needs such as the deployment', in which Italia excels: two minesweepers have already been prepared by the Defence, ready to leave. Together with specialised divers and underwater drones. Should convoy escorting also be envisaged, then the Fremm, the Navy's European multi-mission frigates, could come into play.