{"id":30800,"date":"2021-04-30T16:13:56","date_gmt":"2021-04-30T16:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/04\/30\/the-iniochos-military-exercise-in-greece-is-bad-news-for-iran\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:36:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:36:16","slug":"the-iniochos-military-exercise-in-greece-is-bad-news-for-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2021\/04\/30\/the-iniochos-military-exercise-in-greece-is-bad-news-for-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"The Iniochos military exercise in Greece is bad news for Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Greece hosted the Iniochos 2021 military exercise<\/a> in April, welcoming military forces from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and a number of other nations<\/a>. In addition to improving military readiness and strengthening the ability of the respective militaries to work together, the exercise sent an unmistakable message to Iran that it has failed to isolate Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hellenic Air Force-led annual military exercise ran from April 12 to 22 and focused on planning and conducting a number of tactical and operational air combat missions. These included \u201ca multitude of joint operations and air defense training to include air-to-ground strike missions, defensive counter-air and close air support,\u201d according to the U.S. Air Force. The exercise was conducted in Greek airspace over western and central Greece as well as over the central and southeastern Aegean Sea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To conduct this training, the participating nations brought a robust array of military aircraft. The Greek hosts utilized their F-16, F-4, and Mirage 2000 and 2000-5 fighters. The U.S. contingent included F-16s from the 31st Fighter Wing based in Aviano, Italy, KC-135 tankers based in the United Kingdom, and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft based in Romania. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American F-16s were busy during the exercise, dropping<\/a> approximately 170 inert munitions, firing 8,300 training rounds and completing more than 200 sorties. American joint terminal attack controllers \u2014 Air Force personnel who maneuver with ground forces and coordinate close-air support \u2014 also traveled from Vilseck, Germany, to participate in the exercise and work with partner nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Israel and the United Arab Emirates brought American-made fighters to the exercise. The Israeli contingent included<\/a> F-15Is and F-16Is as well as refueling tankers and G550 surveillance aircraft. The United Arab Emirates, for its part, sent<\/a> F-16s. French M-2000D fighters, Spanish EF-18 fighters and Cypriot AW139 helicopters also participated. Notably, Egypt and Jordan were among five nations welcomed by Greece<\/a> to officially observe the exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An Israeli F-156 military jet taxis along the airstrip of the military airport of Andravida, southern Greece, on April 18, 2021. (Aris Messinis\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After reviewing these details regarding the exercise in Greece, many might understandably think of Turkey first. Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after all, Ankara has pursued<\/a> an increasingly hostile posture toward Cyprus, Israel, Greece and the United States. In addition to acquiring the S-400 air defense system<\/a> from Russia \u2014 the leading threat<\/a> to the NATO alliance \u2014 Erdogan has engaged in gunboat diplomacy to challenge maritime borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides grabbing the attention of Erdogan, leaders in Tehran surely took note of the exercise, too. For decades, Tehran has tried to stoke division between Arabs and Jews to divide the Islamic Republic\u2019s adversaries and isolate Israel. Even as it funds terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Tehran has attempted to perpetuate the myth that Israel \u2014 not the Islamic Republic of Iran \u2014 represents the true threat to regional security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arab leaders have long known the truth privately, often because Tehran made them targets of its sabotage and subversion. But last year, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized relations<\/a> with Israel as part of the historic Abraham Accords<\/a>, matching private understanding with public action. That has opened a flood of mutually beneficial opportunities<\/a> for Israel and the United Arab Emirates. One of those is to build a more diplomatically unified and militarily capable coalition to oppose aggression from Tehran and its terror proxies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t