More than 1,500 people were temporarily stranded on the Greek island of Syros after a bomb threat against the cruise ship Crown Iris prompted a security inspection. The Panama-flagged vessel, operated by an Israeli company, was sailing towards Haifa when an anonymous report claimed that an explosive device had been attached to its hull.
The threat led the ship to divert to Syros, where the Greek Coast Guard coordinated a search involving a specialist diver and an explosives-detection dog. No explosive device was found. The vessel was carrying 940 passengers and 597 crew members, who were permitted to return on board after the inspection.
Greek media reported on Wednesday that the Crown Iris had received clearance to resume its scheduled voyage to Israel.
The incident occurred amid a series of similar threats affecting commercial aviation across Europe on Tuesday. At least seven flights bound for Warsaw, Sofia, Rome and Murcia received bomb warnings, resulting in diversions and temporary disruption at airports. Warsaw’s airport was briefly closed, while the Italian Air Force escorted one of the affected flights to Rome. Another flight to Sofia had received a threat the previous day.
Authorities have not established whether the maritime and aviation incidents were connected, and no group has claimed responsibility. The threats come amid repeated warnings from European officials about alleged hybrid operations and acts of sabotage attributed to Russia and Iran, both of which have rejected the accusations.
For more Crown Iris incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page.