In the eastern wing of NATO, the alarm has been raised after the publication of Iranian plans to transfer the war to American bases in Europe, in the event that tensions in the Middle East escalate.
The Financial Times article states that Iran has the capability to strike US and NATO bases in the region, specifically mentioning bases in Cyprus and Bulgaria.
According to the report, Iran is considering striking US targets in Europe if President Donald Trump escalates the war.
NATO reacted immediately, with a spokesman telling CNN that the alliance is ready to “confront any threat” and defend its members.
Iran’s retaliation includes scenarios of attacks against US targets in Southeast Europe, such as Bulgaria and Cyprus, but also the possibility of sabotaging critical infrastructure, including underwater fiber optic cables in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned that in the event of a new conflict, Iran would abandon its previous strategy focused on the Middle East and extend its attacks beyond the region. Last month, an Iranian drone targeted the British Akrotiri base in Cyprus, prompting Athens to mobilize immediately.
Athens responded by sending F-16 fighter jets, frigates like the Kimon, and deploying Patriot batteries. This mobilization was seen as a model for the response of other forces in the eastern Mediterranean region.
Sources from the Greek Ministry of National Defense confirm that the transfer of a Patriot battery from Karpathos to the Souda base is being considered if the situation escalates.
At the same time, Greece is analyzing the possibility of helping Bulgaria, providing it with a Patriot system for strengthening anti-aircraft and anti-ballistic defenses, if requested and approved by the Government’s National Security Council.
For the security of Cyprus, four F-16 fighter jets of the Greek Air Force and the Navy frigate “Nikiforos Fokas” remain deployed in the area.
NATO has emphasized that it is ready to oppose any threat, recalling that earlier this year its defense systems successfully intercepted four Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Turkey. “Our preventive and defensive posture is strong and effective,” a NATO official told CNN.
