Greece moves Patriot battery to Crete amid heightened tensions with Iran

Greece is redeploying a Patriot air defense battery from Karpathos to Crete to strengthen protection around the strategically important Souda Bay military area, according to local reports. The transfer, which took place overnight, comes amid heightened alert levels within the Greek Defense Ministry following threats by senior Iranian officials directed at US military installations in Europe. Greek authorities are currently evaluating potential threats to key infrastructure as tensions rise between Iran, the United States, and Israel. Allied intelligence assessments suggest that Iran retains a substantial ballistic missile arsenal capable of reaching parts of southeastern Europe. Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned countries against cooperating with Washington's economic isolation efforts, labeling participants as enemies. Rezaei also threatened a severe response to any military action by President Donald Trump and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, stating that reopening it depends on Washington changing its policies.