In a secure operations room at an Italian navy base near Rome, anticipation and excitement are building over a high-stakes global minehunting mission. While large wall-mounted screens display maritime traffic and naval movements around the globe, particular attention is focused on the Strait of Hormuz, where two Italian vessels could soon be deployed to clear mines laid by Iran.
The Crotone and Rimini are currently stationed in Djibouti, about 6,000km from their home base in La Spezia and roughly 3,000km from the Strait of Hormuz, awaiting orders for what could become one of the Italian Navy's most significant operations in decades.
