The battery, previously stationed on the island of Karpathos, started its journey to Souda Bay on Monday. The base is considered NATO's most important military asset in the eastern Mediterranean and a critical hub for alliance operations throughout the region, according to Euronews.
The move follows reporting by the Financial Times last week, which cited sources within Iran's government saying Tehran had examined potential strikes on U.S. military sites in the Balkans and Mediterranean, including possible targets in Bulgaria and Cyprus, should President Donald Trump escalate tensions over the Strait of Hormuz. Greece's defense ministry has declined to comment on the reports.
This is not the first time Athens has bolstered military posture in the region. In March, after a Hezbollah drone strike on Britain's Akrotiri base in Cyprus, Greece deployed F-16 jets and a frigate equipped with anti-drone systems to the island.
Greece also maintains U.S.-linked military infrastructure at Alexandroupolis in the north, and has stationed a separate Patriot battery in Saudi Arabia since September 2021.
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Source: Polish Radio