Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to coordinate the deployment of military assets to Cyprus and the eastern Mediterranean following rising regional tensions.
According to diplomatic sources in Paris, Macron initiated separate phone calls with Mitsotakis and Meloni “in a spirit of European solidarity,” with the three leaders agreeing to coordinate their actions in the region and work together to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Athens confirmed that Mitsotakis and Macron also discussed developments in Iran, Cyprus and Lebanon during a telephone conversation on Thursday, with the Greek leader briefing his counterpart on defensive assistance Greece has provided to Cyprus. The two agreed to remain in close contact as the situation evolves.
The discussions come after a suspected Iranian-made drone struck the British air base RAF Akrotiri earlier this week, prompting several European countries to increase their military presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
Greece has deployed two frigates – Kimon and Psara – along with four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus, while France has sent the frigate Languedoc, equipped with anti-missile and anti-drone systems. Spain has also announced it will dispatch its advanced Cristóbal Colón frigate to join allied forces in the region.
Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told parliament that Italy would follow France, Spain and the Netherlands in sending naval assets, explaining that Italy, France, the Netherlands and Spain agreed “within the EU it made sense to send a message of support to Cyprus.”
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed Italy’s participation and thanked Meloni for the support. The Netherlands is also preparing to send the frigate HNLMS Evertsen alongside France’s carrier strike group.
The United Kingdom has meanwhile announced it will deploy the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles to strengthen drone defence around Cyprus.
Security alerts have continued on the island. On Wednesday night an alarm sounded near Akrotiri, with authorities issuing mobile phone warnings about a potential threat. Cyprus government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis later said the alert was precautionary and that no danger had been identified.
Earlier the same day, Greek F-16 jets were briefly scrambled from Paphos after a suspicious object was detected near Lebanese airspace, though the alert was lifted after further investigation.
Source: euronews
