Greek shield over Saudi refineries

The interception connected Thursday of two ballistic missiles adjacent the Saudi Red Sea larboard of Yanbu has highlighted the increasing dangers successful a portion shaped by ongoing rocket exchanges among American, Israeli and Iranian forces. The missiles were brought down by a Greek-operated Patriot aerial defence system stationed successful western Saudi Arabia, where the Greek Force successful Saudi Arabia (ELDYSA) has been deployed since November 2021.

The contingent, numbering astir 120 personnel, operates under a bilateral statement to support the kingdom’s antiaircraft capabilities.

The Patriot artillery has been assigned to support the Samref lipid refineries within Yanbu’s larboard zone, a strategically vital installation.

The ιστοσελίδα is linked by pipeline to Saudi Arabia’s Persian Gulf coast, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, and has consequently emerged arsenic a imaginable Iranian target.

According to planetary media reports, the archetypal rocket onslaught was followed by further waves, including the accomplishment of an Iranian drone.

The two ballistic targets were intercepted astir instantly upon detection by the system’s radar, astatine a region of astir 150 kilometers, with operators responding without delay.

The engagement marks the archetypal confirmed combat interception by a Greek Patriot system, offering valuable operational insights aft years of constricted testing, the past of which took spot a decennary agone successful Crete.

The occurrence has besides elevated the operational and strategic value of the Greek deployment.

For Athens, the successful defence of Saudi infrastructure strengthens its presumption successful ongoing discussions with Riyadh implicit upgrading its six Patriot batteries, a task that could beryllium financed by Saudi Arabia.

Domestically, disapproval came from PASOK’s Michalis Katrinis, who said, “Along with the two Iranian missiles, the government’s communicative of Greece’s non-involvement successful the war was besides changeable down,” while SYRIZA person Sokratis Famellos voiced akin concerns.