Iranian ballistic missiles shot down over Saudi Arabia by Greek soldiers. First in the Middle East war
An air defense system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Thursday, Greece's defense minister said, according to Reuters.
Nikos Dendias said a Patriot air defense system operated by the Greek military intercepted Iranian missiles aimed at oil refineries in Saudi Arabia, without specifying which part of the kingdom.
“Protecting oil refineries and facilities is of major importance,” he said in a televised statement.
On Thursday morning, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted a ballistic missile targeting the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, where an oil refinery is located.
It was not clear if the missile was one of those intercepted by the system operated by Greece.
The first intervention of the Greeks in the conflict
Greece has deployed a US-made Patriot air defense battery operated by Greek personnel to Saudi Arabia starting in 2021 as part of an agreement to protect the kingdom's energy infrastructure.
Thursday's interception was the first time Greek personnel operated the system, a Greek Defense Ministry official told Reuters.
Other states outside the region have also provided assistance in defending the Persian Gulf states against Iranian attacks launched in response to US and Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28.
France has assisted the United Arab Emirates in defending against Iranian attacks as part of a long-standing defense agreement between the two countries. Australia also said it would send a surveillance plane and missiles to help bolster the Emirates' defenses.
