An Italian navy destroyer shot  down a drone that was approaching it in the Red Sea, where Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels are attacking shipping, the defence ministry said.

"In accordance with the principle of legitimate defence, the ship Duilio shot down a drone in the Red Sea" on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement.

"The drone, bearing similar features to those already used in previous attacks, was located six kilometres (about four miles) from the Italian ship and was flying towards it," it added.

The Huthis say they are attacking Israeli-linked shipping in solidarity with war-torn Gaza, where Israel is battling Palestinian Hamas militants in a war that has roiled the region since erupting on October 7.

The unrest has forced several companies to reroute shipments in the commercially vital waterway, driving up delivery times and costs.

Key Israel ally the United States has led reprisal strikes on Huthi targets in Yemen in a bid to quash the attacks, creating an international force to protect shipping.

Italy has pledged to take command of a separate EU naval force in the Red Sea, but parliament must first approve the move and the formal procedures have advanced slowly.