Italy moves minesweepers closer to Persian Gulf amid truce concerns

Italy is moving two minesweepers closer to the Persian Gulf but will only deploy them as part of an international mission if a stable truce takes hold in the region, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Wednesday.

Speaking to parliament, Crosetto said the vessels would be “pre-positioned” first in the eastern Mediterranean and then the Red Sea as a precaution, adding that any deployment to the Strait of Hormuz would require parliamentary approval.

He said Italy would act only in the event of a “real, credible and stable truce,” as talks led by Britain and France continue on a possible naval mission to protect shipping in the region.