Italy is prepared to deploy up to four vessels, including two minehunters, as part of an international mission to clear the Strait of Hormuz, Italian Navy Chief of Staff Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto said, according to Reuters.

Last week, European leaders met in Paris to discuss multinational efforts to safeguard shipping through the strait, which was nearly closed during the recent US-Israeli war against Iran.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz. More than a dozen countries, including Italy, have said they will join the mission to ensure safe passage once conditions allow.

“The contingency plan developed by the Chief of Defence Staff envisages a group consisting of two minehunters, an escort vessel, and a logistics support ship,” Berutti Bergotto told state broadcaster RAI late on Wednesday. “Clearly, we are not acting alone. We are part of an international coalition, and other countries will also deploy minehunters.”

He added that the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands have mine-clearing capabilities.

Berutti Bergotto also said the Italian ships would depart from the northwestern port of La Spezia and would take about four weeks to reach the area.

Italy currently operates eight minehunters.

Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said last week that the government would seek parliamentary approval before authorizing Italy’s participation in the operation in the Strait of Hormuz.