A senior leader in the Yemeni Houthi group, allied with Iran, said in an interview published on Monday that Italy will become a target if it participates in attacks against sites in Yemen, according to Reuters.

Leader Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi told the daily newspaper La Repubblica that Italy must be neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza. He pointed out that this would be the only way to achieve peace in the region.

On Friday, Italy announced that it would partner with an admiral to lead a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea, which it had joined to protect ships from Houthi attacks.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the goal of the mission, which will begin in mid-February, will be to protect commercial ships and intercept attacks, but it will not participate in strikes against the Houthis.