Emergency meeting at the Ministry of Defense on developments in Iran

Given that the Iranian counterattack developed regionally, hitting neighboring Arab - and Muslim - states, in addition to US bases in the wider region (a scenario for which the US was fully prepared), the mobilization for the Greek side begins from Souda, although the airport is operating normally and the security measures taken are the usual preparedness measures according to the Pentagon, that is, those foreseen in corresponding cases.

Iran's regional counterattack, targeting Saudi Arabia, is also one of the elements of the attack monitored by the Pentagon, given that a Patriot battery is in Saudi Arabia following a bilateral agreement, with the mission of assisting in the anti-aircraft/anti-ballistic defense of the region in which it is deployed. It is worth noting that the bilateral agreement was recently renewed for another year, until November 2026.

The frigate "Hydra" is also in the Red Sea region, as this particular Greek ship is currently participating in the European "Shields" force, with the program's executives yesterday calling on "the entire naval industry to remain vigilant as the possibility of attacks against all ships sailing in the wider region cannot be ruled out".

Emergency meeting at the Ministry of National Defense under Minister Nikos Dendias
The Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias convened today, Sunday, March 1, 2026, an emergency meeting in the room of the Council of Chiefs of General Staffs, at which developments in the wider Middle East region were assessed. It was emphasized that all the required protocols have been implemented and the necessary security measures have been taken.

The meeting was attended by the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff General Dimitrios Houpis, the Chief of the Hellenic General Staff Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Lieutenant General (I) Demosthenes Grigoriadis, the Director of the 5th Branch Pl…

The status of Souda
In any case, the geostrategic character of the naval base in Souda is one of the elements of the defense cooperation between Greece and the US, provoking reactions in neighboring Turkey.

The updating of the bilateral Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), which entered into force on November 6, 1990, is one of the requests for the coming period, while the next round of Strategic Dialogue between the two sides is imminent, possibly in May of this year. It is noteworthy that in a bill submitted to Congress on July 10, 2025, three Greek-American congressmen (Gus Bilirakis, Nicole Maliotakis and Dina Titus) request “an analysis of the possibility of additional bases or an expanded military presence of the United States in the Hellenic Republic, particularly on the Greek islands”, specifically describing Souda as “one of the most strategically important United States naval facilities in the Eastern Mediterranean and helping to support advanced operations, maritime security and the defense of multiple theaters, including Eastern and Southeastern Europe”.

However, according to Article 1 of the bilateral Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), the United States has the following capabilities: aircraft support, communications and ship visits, aircraft carrier parking, refueling, temporary maintenance and personnel accommodation, as well as training and joint exercises. Even more so, when the NATO complex in Marathi is “the deepest port in the Mediterranean used by the US Navy and can handle everything from aircraft carriers to submarines,” as the official account of the US Fleet Command states in a post, capturing the seabed.