Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy Vassilis Kikilias has warned of an alarming situation in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran. Greece is a dominant force in global shipping, controlling one of the world’s largest merchant fleets. He described the situation as “alarming and worrying” and expressed concern over the safety of seafarers. Kikiliass stated that at least 10 Greek-flagged ships were in the Gulf and another five outside, their crews including dozens of Greek seafarers, and over 325 Greek interests are in the wider area. Greece has set up a plan to repatriate thousands of its stranded nationals, but the airspace over the region remains closed.