An air defence system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted a swarm of drones on Thursday in the wider Yanbu region, home to major oil refining facilities, Greek security sources told Reuters.
Greece has deployed a U.S.-made Patriot air defence battery, operated by Greek personnel, in Saudi Arabia since 2021 © Mena Today
An air defence system operated by Greek military personnel in Saudi Arabia intercepted a swarm of drones on Thursday in the wider Yanbu region, home to major oil refining facilities, Greek security sources told Reuters.
It was the third time the Greek-operated system has been used in combat since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began, underscoring the widening military role of European allies in defending Gulf energy infrastructure.
"The battery engaged the drones in coordination with Saudi air defence systems," one of the sources said, adding that the Greek Patriot system launched three missiles, without detailing the number of drones downed or their origin.
A second source confirmed the information.
Greece has deployed a U.S.-made Patriot air defence battery, operated by Greek personnel, in Saudi Arabia since 2021 under an agreement to help protect the kingdom's energy facilities.
Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas
Saudi Arabia and Syria signed a cooperation agreement between the two countries' defense ministries on Wednesday, Saudi state news agency SPA reported, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group continues its missile and drone attacks on the kingdom.
Turkey's parliament is set on Wednesday to ratify a defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan that includes a collective defence clause, committing NATO's second-largest army to Riyadh's defence as it faces attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis.
Iran and the United States are still far from a deal to end their war, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump declined to rule out a resumption of US combat operations after the elections in the United States.
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