By Lefteris Papadimas
ATHENS, March 19 (Reuters) – An air defence system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, Greece’s defence minister said.
Nikos Dendias said a Greek-operated Patriot air defence system had intercepted Iranian missiles targeting oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, without specifying where in the kingdom.
“The protection of refineries and oil units is of great importance,” he said in a televised statement.
Greece has deployed a U.S.-made Patriot air defense battery, operated by Greek personnel, in Saudi Arabia since 2021 under an agreement to help protect the kingdom’s energy infrastructure.
Thursday’s interception was the first time that Greek personnel had operated the system, a Greek defence ministry official told Reuters.
Other outside states have also offered assistance in defending the Gulf against Iranian attacks launched in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
France has assisted the United Arab Emirates in defending against Iranian attacks, under a longstanding defence agreement between the two countries. Australia has also said it would send a surveillance aircraft and missiles to help bolster UAE defences.
Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said that a ballistic missile targeting the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, where there is an oil refinery, had been intercepted.
It was unclear whether the missile was one of those intercepted by the Greek-operated system.
(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas, writing by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Aidan Lewis)
