Greece and Europe will not participate in any military operations near Iran, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has told an event in Athens.
US President Donald Trump called on allies over the weekend to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as Iranian forces continue attacks on the vital waterway amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, now in its third week.
“The simple answer is no, Greece is not going to participate in any operation around the theater of current operations,” he told a Bloomberg event.
“I doubt that there is much European appetite for such a mission right now.”
The prime minister said the EU needed to focus on the war’s consequences in Europe, such as high electricity prices.
“I think that Europe will not be drawn in militarily, but Europe certainly needs to focus on the economic ramifications of the crisis,” he said.
Mitsotakis warned against Europe becoming involved in the US’ Iran missions while the war was ongoing.
“Unless there is a European-endorsed mission, Greece will not participate on its own … And I think the likelihood of such a mission right now is very low,” he said.
The premier pointed out that Greece had almost been alone among EU countries in supporting the Aspides naval mission in the Red Sea.
Aspides is “clearly defined geographically and does not, I repeat, does not extend to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf,” he said.