Tension in the Strait of Hormuz escalates another notch. Two Italian minesweepers, the Crotone and the Rimini, have set sail from the Sicilian port of Augusta bound for Djibouti, where Italy maintains a strategic base. The mission, announced by Minister Guido Crosetto, aims to get ahead of a potential conflict in the area, as allied forces would take nearly a month to arrive from their current positions.
Slow navigation and anti-aircraft escort for a technical deployment 🚢
The minesweepers, specialized in locating and neutralizing underwater explosive devices, will sail at low speed escorted by the logistics support ship Atlante and the multi-role unit Montecuccoli, equipped with air defense capabilities. The crew, about 400 personnel trained in the Mediterranean, will be integrated into a future task force of around twenty nations. The area is dangerous due to mines that Iran could deploy to block oil tanker traffic.
Sweeping the sea, but at a snail's pace 🐢
The Italian Navy has sent its best minesweepers, which travel so slowly they might arrive in Djibouti just in time to see the crisis resolved on the evening news. Sure, with 400 sailors on board and armed escort, at least they'll have plenty of time to play bingo on deck while crossing the Suez Canal. NATO breathes a sigh of relief: finally, someone arrives late in style.