Italy Government responds to the warning of one of the prominent leaders of the Houthis, Yemen's pro-Iranian rebel militias, Mohamed Ali al-Houti, according to whom "Italy will become a target if it participates in the aggression against Yemen", he declared in an interview with the newspaper "la Repubblica". But Rome keep going on the European military mission "Aspides", which will defend commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, will leave on 19 February. 

"We will go to the Red Sea to defend national interests, and in the world this is also done with weapons, if necessary. A hybrid war against the West has been underway for years now", which is threatened "and not from today, and we are part of the West", declared the president of the Defense commission of the Italian Senate, Stefania Craxi.

This is echoed by the parliamentarians of the 5 Star Movement of the Foreign and Defense commissions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate: "The threatening statements of the Houthi leader addressed to Italy demonstrate the urgency of officially and unambiguously clarifying the purely defensive nature of the Aspides mission. We are firmly against any action that could aggravate the military escalation already underway and further compromise the safety of maritime traffic in that area". 

On the same topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.