Greece's Communist Party (KKE) is pushing back hard against government plans to relocate a Patriot missile battery from ...

Greece's Communist Party (KKE) is pushing back hard against government plans to relocate a Patriot missile battery from Karpathos to the Souda Bay base in Crete, calling the move proof that Greek defense spending serves American and NATO interests rather than Greek national defense. In a statement released Thursday, the KKE argued that the planned redeployment, driven by fears of potential Iranian retaliation against the US base at Souda, exposes the real cost of Greece's strategic alliances. The party said the billions Greeks pay for military hardware end up protecting "foreign American-NATO bases and infrastructure" rather than the country itself. The KKE also warned that the risk of a broader imperialist war is more serious now than ever, and called for Greece to halt all participation in military operations abroad. The party demanded the closure of all American and NATO bases on Greek soil, and the return of Greek frigates and military personnel currently deployed overseas. This is not the first time the KKE has taken aim at Greece's NATO commitments. The party has consistently opposed Greek involvement in allied military operations, framing such participation as dragging the country into conflicts that serve Washington and Brussels rather than Athens. The backdrop here is the ongoing tension around Iran, with US assets in the Eastern Mediterranean seen as potential targets if the conflict escalates. Greece's Souda Bay base is one of the most strategically significant American installations in the region, and any decision to redeploy Greek air defense assets there would signal a deeper integration of Greek military infrastructure into US operational planning. The Greek government has not officially confirmed the Patriot redeployment as of Thursday, though the reports prompted the KKE's statement. #Greece #NATO #SoudaBay