Pictured: Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio
Italy has halted the sale of thousands of missiles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Friday. He also said that Italy is committed to restoring peace in war-ravaged Yemen and protecting human rights in the region.
“This is an act that we considered necessary, a clear message of peace coming from our country. For us, the respect of human rights is an unbreakable commitment,” Di Maio said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of an Arab coalition that has been engaged in a drawn-out military conflict with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. The war, which has been fought since 2015, is seen as a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran. According to the United Nations, Yemen is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need of aid.
The Italian Network for Peace and Disarmament said that Rome’s decision would block the sale of around 12,700 missiles to Saudi Arabia.
The stalled sales were part of a total allotment of 20,000 missiles agreed in 2016 under a centre-left government led by Matteo Renzi, the disarmament group said. The sales were worth more than €400 million, or $485 million.
Renzi triggered a government collapse in Italy this week by pulling his Italia Viva party out of the coalition. He is facing fire for recently visiting Saudi Arabia, where he reportedly told the Saudi crown prince that he saw Saudi Arabia as the site of a “New Renaissance”.
The new U.S. administration under President Joe Biden has also halted some pending arms sales. This move could potentially affect Washington’s allies in the Middle East.
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