1,537 held aboard cruise ship after bomb threat

An unknown caller claimed an explosive device was attached to the hull of the Crown Iris, stranding 1,537 people on the Greek island of Syros on Tuesday. The Panama-flagged vessel, operated by Israeli company Mano Maritime, was scheduled to depart for Haifa when the threat was received. Greek authorities immediately initiated a security operation to verify the claim and ensure the safety of everyone on board.

The ship carried 940 passengers and 597 crew members at the time of the incident. Coast guard personnel, assisted by an explosives detection dog and a private diver, conducted a search of the vessel. A special coast guard unit was also deployed to the scene to manage the situation while initial checks took place.

Israeli Navy chief Vice Adm. Eyal Harel consulted with officials from the Shin Bet and Mossad regarding the threat. A military source stated that the incident was being handled in coordination with Greek security officials. Initial inspections of the hull and surrounding areas found no explosive device, but the ship remained in port pending further reviews.

Coast guard specialists were scheduled to arrive at 9:30 p.m. local time to conduct deeper inspections before the vessel could resume its voyage. Until then, travelers were required to disembark and wait nearby for the all-clear. A passenger aboard the cruise told the Israel Hayom news outlet that the crew provided water and chairs to everyone while they waited.

Elderly passengers and children were kept in the lobby of a nearby hotel to stay warm during the wait. The same passenger described the atmosphere as calm, noting that the crew remained composed despite the disruption. "All in all, they’re keeping their cool here," the passenger said. "It seems like someone was bored and decided to scare the port authorities rather than finding something better to do."

The incident occurred shortly after at least seven flights in Europe were targeted in a separate bomb threat hoax earlier on Tuesday. No explosions were found on those aircraft, and the disruptions caused at airports were temporary. While no country has officially blamed the Greek incident, the timing aligns with recent European efforts to attribute such disruptions to hybrid attacks by Russia and Iran, though both Moscow and Tehran deny involvement.

This week, unidentified hackers also shut down refrigeration units in supermarkets across several European countries. Aviation security expert Eric Schouten noted that these low-cost disruption efforts fit a narrative of state actors seeking to disturb Europe. He pointed to the pattern of attacks ranging from railways to food infrastructure as evidence of this ongoing strategy.