Greece is providing a C-130 military transport aircraft to the Republic of Cyprus to assist in the evacuation of Cypriot citizens from war-torn Lebanon, following a relevant request submitted to Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias by his Cypriot counterpart Vasilis Palmas during a phone contact between the two men on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, in light of the dramatic escalation in the Middle East, following Iran’s attack against Israel on Tuesday with hundreds of ballistic missiles, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called an extraordinary session of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA) for Wednesday at 4.30 pm local time to assess the situation.
The strikes by Iran were a retaliation for the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Lebanon, Abbas Nilforushan, as the Iranian Revolutionary Guards announced.
Jordan has suspended air traffic, while Israel has halted flights. Iraq has closed its airspace following the launch of hundreds of missiles from Iran toward Israel and dozens of projectiles by Lebanon.
The Iranian attack comes a day after the Israeli army launched ground operations into southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah positions. Earlier on Tuesday, the White House warned that Iran was poised to launch a ballistic missile attack on Israel soon, instantly ratcheting up fears of an all-out war in the region.
According to Israeli media, over 100 missiles have been launched so far. Other reports have tracked 240 missile launches, while Iranian networks are showing videos of missiles flying over Tehran after being launched from Iran.
