Italy's defence minister on Friday called for a stronger naval presence in the Red Sea to protect merchant shipping amid concerns over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway threatened by the widening Middle East conflict.The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have made rapid advances in recent weeks<p><p>https://www.marinelink.com/news/italian-defense-minister-calls-stronger-543090</p></p>