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Greece will not participate in any military operation against Iran, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said today during the Bloomberg energy conference.
"The simple answer is: no, Greece will not participate in any operation around the theater of operations that are currently underway. And I doubt whether at this moment there is a great European readiness for such a mission," said Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Mitsotakis has clarified that Athens supports the European operation to protect shipping in the Red Sea, but will not be involved in actions in the Persian Gulf without a clear mandate from the European Union. He also stressed that the priority is stability and avoiding escalation.
Referring directly to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes, Mitsotakis warned of global consequences if the situation worsens. Yet when asked if the US president would directly ask him for help, he said:
"We will not engage in actions in the region and beyond as long as military operations continue. We have been absolutely clear from the beginning: we are strengthening our defensive posture. Of course, we are very interested in freedom of navigation. Among us there are, as you know, prominent Greek shipowners who are very concerned about what is happening in this region," he said.
The danger in this strait directly affects Greek maritime transport, as the Greek Ministry of Maritime Transport has emphasized.
There are 168 ships of Greek interest, 34 of them with the Greek flag, currently in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. Hundreds of Greek sailors also serve in the region and their situation is monitored daily.
Since the beginning of the war, several merchant ships have been hit in the area, including those of Greek interests, significantly increasing the risk to one of the most strategic energy and trade corridors on the planet.
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