Since the war broke out between Iran and the United States, Italy has mobilized along with European partners, the G7, and multilateral organizations to facilitate the cessation of hostilities, ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and restore stability in the Middle East. In this context, our country has expressed its willingness to participate, once the conflict is over, in an international defensive coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait.
As I have recalled in these hours intervening in the Commission before the Italian Parliament, for our Government the blockade of Hormuz does not represent a simple regional crisis, but a global clash destined to impact energy security, industrial competitiveness, and international economic balances. A risk especially relevant for all countries in the region, but also for an exporting country like Italy, whose exports represent around 40% of GDP.
The Strait of Hormuz, as we know, is a strategic knot of world trade: through this passage transits almost 20% of global oil, a quarter of liquefied natural gas exports, and a significant share of the raw materials necessary for international production chains. The insecurity of trade routes and the rising cost of energy have already begun to produce effects on families and European companies. Despite the slowdown in global trade and the impact of tariffs, in 2025 Italian exports still grew by 3.3%, confirming how the stability of maritime routes is fundamental for the national economy.
What concerns us, in any case, is not only the impact on the national industry. The consequences for the most fragile countries in Africa and the expanded Mediterranean are also a cause for concern. Through the Strait of Hormuz, in fact, about 30% of global fertilizer exports pass, which are essential for the food security of many vulnerable economies. The case of Sudan, which is still affected by one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, is emblematic. The rise in energy and fertilizer prices could compromise agricultural production, fuel inflation, and worsen instability, shortages, and migration flows to Europe.
For this reason, in early May, I convened a meeting along with my Croatian counterpart — the rotating president of the MED9 — inviting thirty countries from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Balkans, in addition to the FAO, to launch the ‘Rome Coalition for Food Security and Access to Fertilizers’, a permanent forum to identify immediate and concrete solutions.
Our interpretation is that the Hormuz crisis is the reflection of a broader conflict, rooted in decades of tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. In this scenario, we continue to maintain that the diplomatic path is the only possible one and reiterate that Tehran cannot acquire nuclear weapons or missile systems capable of further destabilizing the region.
We cannot erase the memory of the repression of youth protests in Iran, brutally suppressed by the regime. A repression that still continues today through detentions and capital executions against opponents. In recent weeks, Tehran has indiscriminately struck residential areas, hotels, hospitals, and energy infrastructures in various Gulf countries. Attacks that continue even today and that we have firmly condemned, expressing solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.
At the diplomatic level, I have been in constant contact with my friend, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom I received in Rome a few days ago. We agreed on the need to preserve the transatlantic bond and to work together for peace and international stability. I have also confirmed support for the negotiations taking place in Pakistan, which we consider fundamental to keeping a diplomatic path open.
I have also maintained dialogue with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, emphasizing the need for Tehran to negotiate ‘in good faith’ and to collaborate again with the International Atomic Energy Agency, while simultaneously rebuilding positive relations with Gulf countries.
In recent weeks, I also traveled to China, to meet with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with whom I requested a more active role for Beijing in mediating with Tehran. At the same time, Rome maintains direct contact with regional Gulf partners, considered indispensable interlocutors for any lasting diplomatic solution and for the future restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait.
At the operational level, Italy is ready to make available the experience gained in European naval missions in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean. In particular, we consider it necessary to strengthen the European ASPIDES mission, which currently involves only Italy and Greece in patrolling the Red Sea to ensure maritime transport.
In the multilateral mission that will be launched in the Strait of Hormuz, Italy could contribute to demining operations and to the security of commercial navigation.
We believe, however, that a lasting peace in the Middle East cannot disregard the stability of Lebanon.
The Italian Government supports dialogue between Israel and Beirut mediated by the United States and has offered to host direct talks between the parties. During the mission in Lebanon last April, I reiterated to President Joseph Aoun Italy’s support for a path that transforms the current truce into a true peace process.
Washington and Brussels also consider that Rome is an increasingly central actor in strengthening the stability of Beirut, a topic I also addressed in my recent meeting at the Ministry with the Lebanese Foreign Minister.
We also maintain high attention on the security of our military working in the UNIFIL mission, in the bilateral MIBIL mission, and in the Military Technical Committee for Lebanon, led by Italy. At the same time, we will continue to request the protection of Christian communities in the country, following the violence of extremist Israeli settlers against villages in southern Lebanon, including those with a Christian majority.
The issue of the violence of extremist Israeli settlers has also been addressed in Brussels, where among European ministers we have just launched new, severe sanctions against them. In the same session, we approved further sanctions against Hamas terrorists, whose disarmament remains an absolute priority. Italy continues to closely monitor the situation in Gaza and the Palestinian Territories, maintaining an active role in humanitarian aid and future reconstruction, with the aim of achieving two states capable of coexisting in peace and security.
In this perspective, the arrival in Italy these days of 72 Palestinian students who won scholarships at Italian universities: an investment that we consider part of the training of the future Palestinian leadership.