Italy is ready to deploy up to four vessels, including two minesweepers, as part of an international mission to clear the Strait of Hormuz, the navy’s chief of staff said. European leaders met in Paris last week to discuss a multinational effort to protect shipping through the strait, which was largely closed during the US-Israel war against Iran. About a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz. More than a dozen countries, including Italy, have said they would join a mission to ensure safe passage once conditions allow.
