FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin The Italian Navy has escorted a container vessel through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as concerns over maritime security in the Red Sea persist, with Houthi statements indicating a more selective approach to targeting commercial shipping. The escort took place on 18 September after Italian defence officials activated the navy to protect merchant shipping transiting the strategic waterway. Italy is participating in the EU’s Operation Aspides, the defensive maritime security mission established to safeguard commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. RelatedNews OOCL Portugal makes first Suez Canal transit as COSCO resumes southbound Red Sea service Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd expand their return to Suez Canal var jnews_module_21382558_0_6ab131c863ce1 = {"header_icon":"","first_title":"Related","second_title":"News","url":"","header_type":"heading_8","header_background":"","header_secondary_background":"","header_text_color":"","header_line_color":"","header_accent_color":"","header_filter_category":"","header_filter_author":"","header_filter_tag":"","header_filter_cpt_post_tag":"","header_filter_cpt_tribe_events_cat":"","header_filter_cpt_web_story_category":"","header_filter_cpt_web_story_tag":"","header_filter_text":"All","sticky_post":false,"sticky_post_filter":false,"post_type":"post","content_type":"all","sponsor":false,"number_post":"2","post_offset":0,"unique_content":"unique1","include_post":"","included_only":false,"exclude_post":"21382558","include_category":"","exclude_category":"","include_author":"","include_tag":"3377,421,502,288","exclude_tag":"","exclude_visited_post":false,"post_tag":"","tribe_events_cat":"","web_story_category":"","web_story_tag":"","sort_by":"latest","show_date":"","date_format":"default","date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","pagination_mode":"disable","pagination_nextprev_showtext":"","pagination_number_post":"2","pagination_scroll_limit":0,"ads_type":"disable","ads_position":1,"ads_random":"","ads_image":"",