Israel-Greece Defense Pact Triggers Spike in Iran-U.S. Tensions Across the Middle East

Israel and Greece have concluded a defense partnership valued at more than 3 billion euros, under which Israel will install a layered air-defence architecture in Greece, known locally as “Achilles Shield.” At the same time, Iran launched ballistic missiles and drones targeting Jordanian air bases, the UAE’s Al Minhad facility, and U.S. installations in the region, prompting Jordan to say eight missiles were intercepted and the UAE to report a drone shot down over its waters.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed heavy damage to Jordanian technical sites, while the Iranian Armed Forces said they struck the UAE base. The United States responded by hitting IRGC launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, and President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would “hit them hard.” Iranian officials warned of even larger retaliatory strikes, and Tehran later fired additional missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Amid the escalating exchange, Israel received its sixth submarine, the INS Dragon, from Germany, enhancing its naval capabilities. The flurry of rhetoric and attacks underscores a rapidly deteriorating security environment in the Middle East.