Greece is preparing to send two warships to participate in the expected operation to maintain and demine the Strait of Hormuz following the agreement reached to stop the war between the US and Iran, reports “Kathimerini“, citing well-informed sources, BTA reported.
They have announced that the Greek Navy is on full alert and will participate with a MEKO-class frigate, which is currently participating in the EU's “Aspides“ operation to escort merchant ships in the Red Sea, as well as a general support ship – probably the “Prometheus“, the largest ship in the Greek navy.
The Greek frigate “Psara“ is currently operating in the Red Sea, which, if sent to the Strait of Hormuz, will also take on board sapper units for mine clearance. “Prometheus“ will join it possibly at a later stage.
For the future operation, as “Kathimerini“ writes, three main scenarios are being considered: the first is with Iran's consent for the operation to last six months; in the second scenario, its duration could be extended to one year if autonomous groups independent of Iran also operate in the area (similar to the Houthis in Yemen, who are only partially controlled by Tehran); The third scenario is in the event of a breakdown of the agreement, which would lead to the postponement or cancellation of the operation.
Tomorrow, the Greek Minister of Defense will travel from the United States to Brussels for the NATO meeting, at which the issue of security and mine clearance of the Strait of Hormuz in the coming months is expected to be raised. The expansion of the mission of the EU operation “Aspides“ to the Strait of Hormuz has already been discussed, but many EU member states are promoting a model that will be more similar to the “Coalition of the Willing“, which was formed after the election of Donald Trump as US President to assist Ukraine. If this model is adopted, then a new operation will be organized that will cooperate with “Aspides“, but will have a separate role. The diplomatic background behind these talks is tense and at its center is Washington's strong insistence on “sharing“ weight.
This side of the issue also concerns Athens. It is no coincidence that a few weeks ago Dendias publicly criticized the reluctance of most EU countries to contribute naval forces to the “Aspides“ operation. In practice, European countries have many deficits in terms of mine clearance. The French navy has 10 specialized ships, the Italian - 19, and the German - also 10. At first glance, these numbers are high, but in practice most of these ships have limited capabilities. However, supporting the operation will require a strong presence of European forces, commented “Kathimerini“. In essence, the combat units that Athens plans to send do not have the capabilities for mine clearance, but for supporting this activity.