Greece's top diplomat calls war in Gaza a 'nightmare'

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The world is facing the most turbulent times since World War II, Greece’s top diplomat says, pointing to a crossroads in democracy and saying Europe is facing a “political identity crisis.”

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis weighed in on two of the globe's major conflicts, saying the “nightmare” and escalating death toll in Gaza must end and Greece stands by Ukraine.

He also noted that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs are not “good news.”

Here are some takeaways from Monday's interview:

Gerapetritis, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council this month, said inequalities between nations and people are challenging “the essence of democracy and the rule of law.” As a result, “we have turned into an era where populism and demagogues are essentially ruling the state,” he said.

He said global turmoil is also the result of technology and the world's mobility, which mean every challenge — from pandemics to climate and migration — touches everyone. The upheaval also follows a crisis in overall global cooperation and belief in international organizations, which have failed to address challenges in recent years.

Nonetheless, Gerapetritis said, Greece believes “democracy has a self-corrective mechanism” and what’s needed at this challenging time is strong leadership in major nations and international organizations “to make people believe in the noble cause of being together in peace and prosperity.”

The Greek foreign minister said the European Union’s requirement that decisions be adopted unanimously by its 27 members — giving a single nation veto power — has become an obstacle.

On the other hand, he said, the veto reflects national interests that should be at the core of European politics.

At the moment, Gerapetritis said Europe is in a “political identity crisis.”

“It seems that on occasions, we forget what are the essential elements that brought us together as Europeans, and we do suffer from some divergences and conflict,” he said. “And now we’re suffering the post-shock syndrome after the war in Ukraine. So I think Europe needs again to find its resilience and identity.”

Greece stands by Ukraine because it supports the rule of law and its sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

As for EU and U.S. sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Gerapetritis said they have been only partially successful because Moscow has found ways to circumvent their impact. The economic penalties have not become “a turning point for peace,” he said.

Gerapetritis said his country supports a two-state solution, has discussed it and Gaza's reconstruction extensively with Israel and the Palestinians, and sees itself as an “honest broker.”

“We would like to be actively involved, but to be totally honest, it’s not a matter of who mediates, it’s a matter of stopping the nightmare,” he said.

Hamas’ killing of 1,200 people and taking of hostages from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, was absolutely inhumane, he said. Also, “I cannot really tolerate what is happening now in the Middle East,” he said, pointing to the more than 53,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to its health ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.

Gerapetritis, who will preside at a Security Council meeting Thursday on protecting civilians in conflict, called for massive humanitarian aid for Gaza and a speedy ceasefire.

The first few aid trucks entered Gaza this week following nearly three months of an Israeli blockade of food, medicine and other supplies. Israel says a new distribution system will launch to prevent Hamas from accessing aid, which Israel says the militant group uses to bolster its rule in Gaza.

Gerapetritis said U.S.-Greek ties are growing, citing investments by Amazon, Google, Pfizer and other companies, including in the energy field.

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration haven’t had a major influence in the country, he said, “because we are not overexposed to that type of bilateral trade.”

But Greece is in favor of free trade, he said, and while “we do not consider that tariffs are good news … we do believe that there must be a modus vivendi,” a Latin phrase that in international relations often means a compromise between parties.

Trump imposed a 20% levy on goods from the EU amid a series of such moves against trading partners but later paused them to give a chance to negotiate solutions to U.S. trade concerns. Countries subject to the pause will face Trump’s 10% baseline tariff.

Greece Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis responds to questions during an interview at the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations, in New York, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Greece Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis responds to questions during an interview at the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations, in New York, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Greece Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis responds to questions during an interview at the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations, in New York, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Greece Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis responds to questions during an interview at the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations, in New York, Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel launched a new wave of attacks early Monday against Tehran and a top American commander told Iranians to remain in shelters for the foreseeable future, while Iran renewed strikes on its Gulf neighbors and threatened to start hitting their power plants.

As Iran continues its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump gave a 48 hour deadline for Tehran to open the strategic waterway to all ships, saying that otherwise the United States would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants. Trump posted the threat to social media early Sunday in Middle East time zones.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Monday that if the U.S. did that, Iran would respond by hitting power plants in all areas that supply electricity to American bases, “as well as the economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares.”

“Do not doubt that we will do this,” the Guard said in a statement read on Iranian state television.

As Israel hit the Iranian capital, the military said it had “begun a wide-scale wave of strikes” on infrastructure targets in Tehran without immediately elaborating.

United States Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper claimed in an interview aired Monday that Iran was launching missiles and drones from populated areas, and suggested those areas would be targeted.

“You need to stay inside for right now,” Cooper told Iranian civilians in the interview with the Farsi-language satellite network Iran International aired early Monday.

“There will be a clear signal at some point, as the president has indicated, for you to be able to come out.”

Air defenses in the United Arab Emirates intercepted a ballistic missile near the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, and one person on the ground was injured when hit with shrapnel.

Warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said it had intercepted a missile targeting Riyadh, and had destroyed drones over the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province.

Oil prices remained stubbornly high in early trading, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard at around $112 a barrel, up nearly 55% since Israel and the U.S. started the war on Feb. 28 by attacking Iran.

The war has also caused wild fluctuations in global stock markets as traders grow increasingly concerned about a world energy crisis and other issues.

In addition to targeting Israel and American bases, Iran has been hitting the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbors.

It also has a tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which leads from the Persian Gulf toward the open ocean and through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped, along with other important commodities.

A trickle of ships has been getting through the strait and Iran insists it remains open — just not to the U.S., Israel or their allies. On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the U.S. for the problem facing everyone, saying that the attack on Iran made insurance companies shut down shipping through the strait for fear of having to pay large claims if tankers were damaged or destroyed.

Iran has said it will completely close the critical waterway if Trump follows through with the threat to attack Iranian power plants.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf also said Iran would then consider vital infrastructure across the region — including energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water in Gulf nations — legitimate targets.

In his first one-on-one interview since the war started, Adm. Cooper said the campaign against Iran is “ahead or on plan” and that the U.S. and Israel were targeting infrastructure and manufacturing facilities to destroy Iran’s capabilities to rebuild its military.

“It’s not just about the threat today,” he said. “We’re eliminating the threat of the future, both in terms of the drones, the missiles as well as the navy.”

He suggested Iran could bring a quick end to the war if it stopped firing back, though did not say whether that would prompt Israel and the U.S. to relent before all infrastructure targets have been destroyed.

“They could stop this war right now, absolutely, if they chose to do so,” he said of Iran. “They need to stop putting the wonderful Iranian people at risk by firing missiles and drones from inside populated areas. ... They need to stop immediately attacking civilians throughout the Middle East region.”

Iran’s death toll in the war has surpassed 1,500, its health ministry has said. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian strikes. More than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states have been killed in strikes.

In Lebanon, authorities say Israeli strikes targeting Iran-linked militia Hezbollah have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel.

Rising reported from Bangkok. AP writer Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed to this report.

Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli airstrike that hit the Qasmiyeh Bridge near the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)

A cargo ship carrying vehicles sails through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz in the United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo)

People follow a truck carrying the flag draped coffins of Gen. Ali Mohammad Naeini, a spokesperson for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of his comrades Amir Hossein Bidi , during their funeral procession in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, March 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)