Greece–Iran relations

Bilateral relations

Greek-Iranian relations

Greece |
Iran
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Greece, Tehran| Embassy of Iran, Athens

Greek-Iranian relations are foreign relations between Greece and Iran. The two countries have had relations for thousands of years, and share great historical ties. Relations have been highly negative though. Greece has an embassy in Tehran, and Iran is represented by its embassy in Athens. Tensions between the two countries have escalated numerous times in the last years. Greece was the only European country to support the assassination of Qasem Soleimani by U.S. drone strike. In response, Iran threatened Greece with retaliation if it allowed the United States to use their military bases in case of a conflict between the United States and Iran.[1]

Greece has been the European country with the highest number of hostilities with Iran in recent years.[2][3][4]

Greece has been consistently among the most anti-Iranian countries in the world. In 2014, 73% of Greeks expressed negative views of Iran, while only 19% viewed it favorably.[5] In 2019 Greece was the European country with the highest level of support for cancelling the Iran nuclear deal.[6] A poll conducted in 2023 showed that Greeks view Iranian people even more negatively than they view Turkish people, with 35% viewing them positively and 53% negatively. Only Afghans and Pakistanis are more unpopular in Greece.[7]

## History[edit]

Cartoon on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Greece and Qajar Persia in 1902

### Ancient[edit]

See also: Achaemenid Empire, Classical Greece, and Hellenistic Period

Relations between the two people date back from antiquity and well before the Persian invasion of Greece. By the late 6th century BC, the Achaemenid Persian Empire was in control over all of Asia Minor (which included many ethnically Greek areas), as well as many of the Greek islands, Thrace, and the kingdom of Macedonia, the latter two which make up large parts of modern-day northern Greece. There is also the report by Strabo of an Athenian delegation to Persia in 432 BC.[8]

The relations have evolved from sworn rivalry during the Greco-Persian wars to strong cordiality, since Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire. Alexander admired Persian culture, and wanted to create a mixture of Greek and Persian culture which would forever bind and commemorate the two peoples.

This legacy of strong cordiality would thus be found back for many more centuries in various parts of the world named as the Greco-Persian culture. A harmonious blend of both Greek and Persian cultural aspects. The Kingdom of Pontus was a prime example of an entity (in Asia Minor) where Iranian and Greek culture, ethnicity, identity, amongst others, mingled.

### Medieval[edit]

See also: Sasanian Empire and Byzantine Empire

The Sasanian Empire and Byzantine Empire (which was Greek-speaking) were the main powers in southern Europe, Western Asia, and Central Asia. There were many conflicts between them.

### Modern[edit]

There is a small Christian Greek community in Iran.[9] In Tehran, there is a Greek Orthodox church which opens mostly during the Greek Holy Week.[9]

On May 24, 2012, the Iran-Greece Chamber of Commerce was founded to strengthen economic ties between Iran and Greece across various sectors such as industry, commerce, mining, agriculture, and services. Additionally, the Chamber seeks to promote bilateral exchanges and investments between the two countries. Mehdi Jahangiri is the chairman of the board of the Iran-Greece Chamber of Commerce.[10][11]

In February 2016, the then Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras traveled to Tehran, becoming the first Western leader to visit Iran after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was signed. Tsipras met the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and pledged that his country would become an energy, economic and trade bridge between Iran and the European Union.[12]

In January 2020, the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that "Greece supports the decision of the USA for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani" causing an official protest by Iran, while the Greek opposition condemned the killing of Soleimani.[13][14]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Greece donated 200,000 vaccines to Iran.[15]

In May 2022, Iranian soldiers seized two Greek tankers and took the crew hostage at the Persian Gulf. This move was a punitive action after Greek authorities confiscated Iranian oil held on a Russian-operated ship docked at a port in Greece a month ago, due to European Union sanctions against Russia for the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[16]

On June 8, 2022, a Greek court overruled an earlier court order that authorized the United States to seize part of an Iranian oil cargo aboard an Iranian-flagged tanker off the Greek coast.[17]

On June 14, 2022, the Iranian-flagged Lana tanker ship, which was held by Greece in April, has been released and its oil cargo will be returned to its owner, according to Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).[18]

On July 2, 2022, an Iranian-flagged tanker that Greece seized in April, with the United States seizing some of its cargo, was being towed to the port of Piraeus.[19]

## Resident diplomatic mission[edit]

* Greece has an embassy in Tehran.
* Iran has an embassy in Athens.

## See also[edit]

* Foreign relations of Greece
* Foreign relations of Iran
* Iran–EU relations

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Iran threatens retaliation against Greece for US use of military bases". jpost.com. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
2. ^ "Iran releases 2 Greek tankers held since May". dw.com. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
3. ^ "Iran seizes Greek tanker, escalating tensions with West". politico.eu. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
4. ^ "Iran Furious With Greece Over Support for Soleimani Killing". greekreporter.com. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
5. ^ "Iran's Global Image Largely Negative". pewresearch.org. 18 June 2014. Retrieved 2021-12-23.
6. ^ "2. Little support for Trump's international policies". pewresearch.org. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
7. ^ "Greek perceptions towards Islam have become more negative in the last 15 years, new poll finds". greekcitytimes.com. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
8. ^ D. J. Mosley,Archipresbeutai, Hermes, Vol. 94, No. 3 (1966), pp. 377–381.
9. ^ a b "Διμερείς Σχέσεις της Ελλάδος". www.mfa.gr. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
10. ^ "igccim: Greek Ambassador Meets with Chairman and Board of the Iran Greece Chamber of Commerce". www.igccim.com. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
11. ^ "igccim: Goals And Programs". www.igccim.com. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
12. ^ Athens, Nektaria Stamouli in (8 February 2016). "Greek Prime Minister Tsipras Meets with Iranian Leaders in Tehran". Wall Street Journal.
13. ^ Greek opposition leader condemns US killing of Soleimani
14. ^ "Διάβημα διαμαρτυρίας του Ιράν". Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
15. ^ "Greece to provide Iran with 200,000 doses of COVID vaccine". tehrantimes. 12 January 2022.
16. ^ "Iran seizes two Greek tankers amid row over U.S oil grab". Reuters. Reuters. Reuters. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
17. ^ "Greek court overturns decision on U.S. seizure of Iranian oil cargo - sources". Reuters. Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
18. ^ "Iranian tanker ship seized by Greece has been released, Mehr news agency reports". Reuters. Reuters. Reuters. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
19. ^ "Iranian-flagged tanker in Greece tugged to Piraeus port". Reuters. Reuters. Reuters. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.

## External links[edit]

* Greek Ministry of Foreign Affaires about relations with Iran
* Iranian embassy in Athens

* v
* t
* e

Foreign relations of Greece

Bilateral relations

| Africa|

* Algeria
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Egypt
* Ethiopia
* Kenya
* Nigeria
* South Africa
* Tunisia
* Zimbabwe

|

Americas|

* Argentina
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Cuba
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Peru
* United States
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bangladesh
* China
* Georgia
* India
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq (Kurdistan Region)
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kyrgyzstan
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* South Korea
* Syria
* Turkey
* United Arab Emirates
* Vietnam

Europe|

* Albania
* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Holy See
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Malta
* Moldova
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

Oceania|

* Australia
* New Zealand

Former|

* Yugoslavia

Multilateral relations

| Issues|

* United Nations
* NATO
* European Union
* IMF
* World Bank
* Aegean dispute
* Cyprus dispute
* Northern Epirus
* Craiova Group

|

Historical|

* Greek–Serbian Alliance
* Balkan League
* First Balkan Pact
* Second Balkan Pact
* Treaty of Guarantee (1960)

Diplomacy

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Diplomatic missions of / in Greece
* Greek diaspora
* Greek diplomats
* Visa policy of Greece
* Visa requirements for Greek citizens

* v
* t
* e

Foreign relations of Iran

Africa|

* Algeria
* Burkina Faso
* Egypt
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Kenya
* Libya
* Morocco
* Senegal
* South Africa
* Sudan
* Tunisia

Americas|

* Argentina
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Cuba
* Ecuador
* Mexico
* United States
* after 1979
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Armenia
* Azerbaijan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* China
* Georgia
* History
* India
* Indonesia
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* North Korea
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Palestine
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* South Korea
* Sri Lanka
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

Europe|

* Albania
* Belarus
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Holy See
* Italy
* Kosovo
* Netherlands
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Serbia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

Oceania|

* Australia

Former|

* Rome
* Yugoslavia

Multilateral relations|

* Arab League
* European Union
* NATO

Disputes|

* Nuclear program of Iran
* Views on the nuclear program of Iran
* Iran–Israel proxy conflict
* Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
* Israeli–Sunni Coalition
* Sanctions
* U.S. sanctions

Related|

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Diplomatic missions of / in Iran
* Trade Promotion Organization of Iran
* Foreign direct investment in Iran
* Propaganda in Iran
* Iranian diaspora
* Ambassadors from Iran

Portals:

* Politics
* Greece
* Iran

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template