GREECE PERSPECTIVE

Athens, May 18, 2026. Two and a half months after the outbreak of the military conflict between the United States and Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Donald Trump has once again brandished the threat of a devastating strike against Tehran, exacerbating a crisis already marked by the failure of diplomatic attempts.

On Sunday, May 18, the US president published on Truth Social a blunt warning: "There will be nothing left" of Iran if its government fails to quickly reach an agreement with Washington. According to the Greek Reporter, Trump had already mentioned in early April the destruction of "an entire civilization" before the entry into force of a brief ceasefire. He has since rejected the Iranian peace proposal presented on May 10, judging it "totally unacceptable".

The conflict broke out on February 28, and the two parties have only held one direct meeting, in Islamabad in mid-April, which did not lead to any agreement. The one-month truce has not been enough to restore an operational diplomatic channel. Trump declared that "the clock is ticking" for Iran, urging its leaders to "act quickly, or there will be nothing left".

Tehran has not remained silent. The Iranian military spokesman, Abolfazl Shekarchi, warned that any new attack on Iran would expose US resources and the army to "unprecedented, aggressive, and disturbing scenarios." Hamidreza Haji-Babai, vice-president of the Iranian Parliament, threatened retaliatory measures against regional energy infrastructure if Iranian oil installations were targeted.

These crossed statements come after a drone strike near the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates. Emirati authorities confirmed that no casualties or radiation level increase were reported, but described the incident as "a dangerous escalation." Saudi Arabia denounced a "threat to regional security and stability." Two other drones were intercepted. These events have driven up oil prices at the beginning of the week.

For Greece, an oil-importing country and economy heavily dependent on maritime routes in the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean, this instability at the gates of the region constitutes a direct risk factor. The volatility of energy prices, combined with uncertainty over the military evolution of a conflict involving a nuclear power, is closely followed in Athens, which has not taken a public stance on US strategy.