Italy declined to take part in military action against Yemen’s Houthis, source says

Italy declined to take part in US and British strikes overnight against the Houthi group in Yemen, a government source said on Friday, explaining that Rome preferred to pursue a “calming” policy in the Red Sea.

The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, also said the government would have needed parliamentary backing to take part in any military action, making swift approval impossible.