File photo of Souda air base. [Greek Defense Ministry/Intime News]
The geography of Greece and Cyprus makes both countries pivotal for the West whenever instability alarms sound in the Middle East, according to Greek officials and military assessments.
Recent days, however, mark a turning point not only for regional balances but also for Europe’s ability to defend territory in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus and the Balkans.
Amid the crisis, Athens has been in direct communication with Washington from the outset for practical reasons.
For the United States and NATO, the Souda Bay base on Crete faces a “significant risk” of being struck by an Iranian missile, a classification just below “high risk” in NATO terminology, according to the report.
For that reason, even before US and Israeli strikes against the Tehran regime began, a Greek Air Force Patriot battery at Souda Bay was activated, alongside short-range US Army air-defense systems and anti-drone weapons.
A decision days later to rapidly deploy another Patriot launcher battery on the island of Karpathos aimed to close a blind spot in national air defense.
Operationally, beyond Cyprus and Souda Bay, three additional potential American targets lie between them: the air bases at Adana, also known as Incirlik, Konya and Izmir.
On Friday, NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe ordered increased readiness for the interception of possible ballistic threats from Sejjil and Khorramshahr missiles.
Under certain conditions those missiles could reach beyond Turkey which borders Iran, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania.
Greece and Romania are the only countries on NATO’s southeastern flank equipped with Patriot systems capable of countering such threats.
As a result Greece forms a key link in an anti-ballistic chain stretching from Incirlik to the Deveselu base in Romania.
Three batteries have been deployed on Greek territory, including Karpathos, Souda and northern Greece, with two more assigned to protect urban areas.
Greek capabilities were also reflected in the provision of air assets, including four F-16 Viper jets in Cyprus and two F-16 aircraft on Limnos dedicated to protecting Bulgaria.
Greece also conducts NATO air-policing missions over North Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.
Greek officials say these moves show Athens’ willingness to play a significant regional role in cooperation with the US and in the Eastern Mediterranean. However Athens continues to call for an immediate cessation of operations and a return to the negotiating table.
