(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 20 - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described yesterday's intercept of two Iranian ballistic missiles by a Greek Patriot air defence system battery, which is currently deployed in Saudi Arabia, as "a strictly defensive action within the framework of the agreement" between the countries. The Greek Patriot battery has been in Saudi Arabia since 2021, as part of an international air and missile defence initiative to support the Kingdom. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias described the interception as "a source of pride," but it sparked strong domestic political reactions, despite the fact that government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis reiterated that the action does not imply Greek participation in the ongoing conflict. These statements "constitute a frank admission of Greece's involvement" in the conflict, the left-wing Syriza party charged in a statement, recalling that it had opposed the Patriots' deployment in Saudi Arabia as early as 2021 and had called for their withdrawal. (ANSA).