The war between Iran, the US, and Israel reached a critical point as Hezbollah and Iranian forces launched a massive, coordinated drone and missile attack across Israel on Saturday night.
Amid the rapidly deteriorating situation, Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias will travel to London on Monday for urgent talks with UK officials regarding the fallout and its impact on Eastern Mediterranean stability, especially around Cyprus.
What happened in Israel overnight
Air raid sirens sounded continuously across major Israeli cities Saturday night and early Sunday. Tehran claimed its forces successfully targeted the headquarters of Israel’s Lahav 433 police unit and the Gilat defense satellite communications center. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not confirmed these specific impacts but stated they remain prepared for any scenario, aggressively denying rumors of scaled-back military operations against Iran.
The widening conflict shows the widening gap between Tehran and Washington. Iranian officials recently demanded the closure of all US military bases in the Middle East as a precondition for ending the war. US President Donald Trump firmly rejected the terms. He publicly threatened to bomb Iran’s Kharg Island, a crucial terminal handling 90 percent of Iranian oil exports “just for fun,” and speculated that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was dead.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the US president’s remarks, saying that the new Supreme Leader of Iran is in good health and managing the situation. Tehran then issued a direct vow to kill Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iranian lawmakers also warned that any US military attempt to occupy Kharg Island would result in the capture of American troops.
Greece and the UK to coordinate their next steps
As the geopolitical crisis threatens global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Greece is coordinating closely with allied countries. Defense Minister Nikos Dendias will meet with UK Defense Secretary John Healey and the British National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell on Monday.
Their agenda focuses heavily on the Middle East escalation and the direct security challenges it poses to the Eastern Mediterranean, a region of primary strategic concern for Athens, London, and Nicosia.
The situation in Lebanon
The humanitarian toll in Lebanon continues to rise as Israel escalates its strikes against Hezbollah. The European Union issued an urgent appeal for an end to hostilities, citing the deaths of hundreds of civilians, and explicitly demanded Hezbollah cease its attacks against Israel and the neighboring areas. As of Sunday morning, the IDF ordered immediate evacuations for multiple southern Beirut suburbs, including Haret Hreik, Ghobeiry, Lilaki, Hadath, Burj al-Barajneh, Tahwitat al-Ghadir, and Chiyah.
Skirmishes are also impacting the Persian Gulf. Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia intercepted multiple projectiles over the weekend. Gulf nations insist they want to avoid direct military involvement but maintain their right to defend their airspace. Araghchi accused Israel and the US of staging these Gulf attacks using American-made “Lucas” drones designed to mimic Iranian “Shahed” models. He proposed a joint investigative committee to demonstrate that Tehran’s future operations will strictly target US military assets in the region.