Italian Foreign Minister: Our Country Will Lead the ASPIDES Operation in the Red Sea

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that the European Union's Foreign Affairs Council has approved the launch of the maritime military operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea, which Italy will lead. He stated that "Italy is at the forefront of nations working to protect commercial interests and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea." He emphasized that this is "an important step towards a common European defense," according to the Italian website "Decod 39." The Italian minister participated in the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, chaired by the EU High Representative Josep Borrell, where the situation in the Middle East, reconstruction in Gaza, and the protection of freedom of navigation and trade in the Red Sea were discussed. The operation, which Italy proposed to lead along with France and Germany, signals a significant move to enhance European defense.