With a clear and warning speech, the lieutenant general of the army Ioannis Baltzois intervened on her television Naftemporiki, outlining a particularly fragile geopolitical landscape from the Middle East to the Aegean, without illusions of de-escalation or "spectacular solutions".
Iran – USA: market scenarios, fears in Israel
Mr. Baltzoi noted that markets often "read developments better than anyone else," but warned that the image of de-escalation between the US and Iran is not shared by Israel. As he mentioned, there is intense concern in the Israeli press, with the Netanyahu government making it clear to Washington that Iran's nuclear program is central, but not the only issue.
In this context, he recalled the contacts of US envoy Steve Witkoff in both Israel and Turkey, while revealing that President Trump has set four tough conditions for Tehran:
- complete denuclearization,
- restrictions on missile systems,
- cessation of support to "proxy" organizations (Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis),
- and – albeit informally – recognition of Israel.
As he stressed, these are terms that the Iranian leadership considers "humiliating", which leads to a dangerous impasse.
The US dilemma and the fear of chaos
The lieutenant general described Washington's strategic dilemma with stark realism: either a blow to Iran with unforeseen consequences for the entire Middle East, or a retreat that would be perceived as a defeat for the United States. He even recalled warnings from Saudi officials that both scenarios carry serious risks of destabilization.
Despite recent indications that Iran is leaving a "window" for negotiations on its nuclear program, Mr. Baltzoi appeared cautious: "I see a deadlock. I hope I am proven wrong, because an agreement is always the best solution."
Iran: Khamenei decides
He made particular reference to the power structure in Iran, stressing that the final decisions are made neither by the government nor by the parliament, but by the supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. “Even if all the filters pass, the final word is his,” he noted, explaining why any assessment of an agreement remains precarious.
Greek-Turkish: no expectations from Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting
Referring to the upcoming – or not – Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting, Mr. Baltzoi was categorical. He assessed that the main “thorn” is not Athens, but Ankara itself, which is bothered by Greek alliances and Greece’s geopolitical upgrading through energy and trade corridors (IMEC, vertical corridor, electrical cables).
"I have no hope that Turkey will change its policy," he stressed, describing it as consistently revisionist and aggressive, with the "Blue Homeland" permanently in the spotlight. Even if the meeting takes place, he warned that results that would allow complacency should not be expected.
Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeEldzGCGWE&t=1s
photo ErikaWittlieb, https://pixabay.com
