Greece's National Intelligence Service (EYP) has activated a sweeping undercover counter-espionage operation, dubbed "Desert Scorpion," across all U.S. military bases in the country to thwart suspected foreign sabotage amid the escalating Middle East war.
The dramatic security escalation follows the recent arrest of a Georgian national of Azerbaijani descent who was caught at Athens International Airport.
The suspect possessed unauthorized photographs of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier docked at Crete's strategic Souda Bay, and authorities are actively probing his potential links to Iranian intelligence networks.
To secure vital allied deployments, intelligence agents are now swarming key military hubs, operating entirely undercover as tourists, couples, waiters, and conference attendees.
The covert network is intensely monitoring short-term rentals and hotels overlooking critical sites, including the naval base in Crete, the northern port of Alexandroupolis, and air installations like Larissa's 110th Combat Wing and Stefanovikeio.
The heightened posture responds to a disturbing pattern of espionage.
Over the past eight months, authorities have made four similar arrests in Crete and the border region of Evros.
These incidents include two Azerbaijani operatives traveling on Polish passports who specifically sought out lodgings with direct views of American military assets.
As regional volatility surges following the latest clashes in the Persian Gulf, Athens is moving aggressively to ensure these vital Southeastern Mediterranean transit nodes remain impenetrable to foreign surveillance.