Spanish and Italian frigates taking part in Cyprus protection mission dock in Crete

Record ID: 2364763

  • Title: Spanish and Italian frigates taking part in Cyprus protection mission dock in Crete
  • Date: 10th March 2026
  • Summary: SOUDA BAY, CRETE, GREECE (MARCH 10, 2026)(REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE ITALIAN FRIGATE FEDERICO MARTINENGO DOCKED PAN FROM THE SPANISH FRIGATE CRISTOBAL COLON (L)TO THE FRENCH FRIGATE BRETAGNE AND ITALIAN FRIGATE FEDERICO MARTINENGO (R) FROM A DISTANCE PAN FROM FRENCH FRIGATE BRETAGNE TO ITALIAN FRIGATE FEDERICO MARTINENGO FRENCH FRIGATE BRETAGNE SPANISH FRIGATE CRISTOBAL
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: CYPRUS EU FRANCE FRIGATE GREECE IRAN ITALY MIDDLE EAST NATO SHIP SPAIN
  • Location: SOUDA BAY, CRETE, GREECE 
  • City: SOUDA BAY, CRETE, GREECE 
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001256510032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Frigates being sent to Cyprus as a joint European mission to protect the Mediterranean island were docked at a naval base in Crete on Tuesday (March 10).
    EU countries have been sending military assets to Cyprus after the British RAF naval base in Akrotiri was struck by an Iranian drone last week.
    The Italian frigate Federico Martinengo, and the Spanish vessel Cristobal Colon, were docked at the Souda Bay base, a NATO installation, on the island of Crete in Greece. Another frigate, France’s Bretagne,  was also docked at the naval base.
    Besides Italy and Spain, France, Britain, Greece and the Netherlands were also sending or have already sent naval and air defences to Cyprus. 
    On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the island and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the region.
    Cyprus has said it was not involved in operations against Iran, and EU nations have said the assets were strictly for defensive purposes.
    Western officials believe a drone that hit the British Akrotiri base on Cyprus on March 2 was most likely launched by the Iran-backed Hezbollah from Lebanon.
    Britain has not joined the U.S. and Israel in taking offensive action against Iran, though it has taken part in defensive operations including shooting down drones. The government has also given the United States permission to launch limited defensive actions from some British bases.
    (Production: Makis Melisourgakis, Makis Kartsonakis, Vania Turner, Deborah Kyvrikosaios) 
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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