Italy’s navy chief confirmed Wednesday that the country has a contingency plan to send four vessels, including two minesweepers, to the Strait of Hormuz as part of a multinational mine-clearance effort following the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.
“The contingency plan drawn up by the Chief of Defence Staff envisages a group consisting of two minesweepers, an escort vessel and a logistics vessel,” Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto told state broadcaster RAI.
⚡️🇮🇹🇫🇷🇳🇱🇧🇪 RaiNews: The Italian Navy is planning to send a group of ships to the Strait of Hormuz as part of an international coalition.
Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto reports the mission will include four Italian ships, consisting of two…
— War Monitor (@monitor11616) April 23, 2026
The ships would depart from La Spezia and take approximately four weeks to transit to the area. Italy currently operates eight minehunters.
“We are part of an international coalition, and other nations will also send minesweepers,” Berutti Bergotto said, identifying Britain, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands as coalition partners with mine-clearing capabilities. European leaders met in Paris last week to coordinate the broader response.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said the government will seek parliamentary approval before authorizing the mission. He told parliament he had already directed the Navy to prepare. “Twenty days ago, I told the Chief of Defence and the Navy to be ready with two ships,” Crosetto said.
That deployment plan comes as the scope of the mine threat remains disputed. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the Pentagon told the House Armed Services Committee clearance could take up to six months, pointing to GPS-guided mines that U.S. officials say Iran can no longer fully locate.
The Pentagon denied the characterization Thursday, calling it “cherry picking and false.” U.S. Central Command began initial clearance operations on April 11 using two guided-missile destroyers and underwater drones.
Rome is also discussing expanding the EU’s Aspides naval mission, established in 2024 to protect Red Sea shipping lanes from Houthi attacks, to cover the Strait of Hormuz.
