In a fiery address on Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah issued a direct warning to Cyprus, highlighting the Mediterranean island as a potential target if it supports Israel during a future conflict involving the Lebanese militant group.
Nasrallah declared in a televised speech, “If Cyprus opens its airports and bases to Israeli forces, it will become part of this war.” His statement came after Israeli warnings of imminent “total war” in Lebanon.
In response, Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides immediately denied any involvement in the war effort, stressing, “The statements are unwarranted and avoid any notion of Cyprus being involved in military operations in any way.” “Do not match our efforts to escape.” He also emphasized ongoing diplomatic channels with Lebanon and Iran.
The EU showed strong support for Cyprus on Thursday, saying that “Cyprus, as an EU member state, is a symbol of the EU and vice versa.”
EU spokesman Peter Stano stressed, “Any threat against one of our member states is a threat against the EU.”
Cyprus’ neighbor Greece reiterated this solidarity, declaring its “unwavering support” and condemning any possible use of force as a gross violation of the UN Charter.
In an effort to defuse the situation, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdalla Bou Habib contacted his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos and reaffirmed Lebanon’s appreciation for Cyprus’ constructive role in promoting regional stability, as did the Lebanese State. The media has reported.
While analysts suggest that a direct conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is unlikely, the inclusion of Cyprus adds a new dynamic to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. It potentially embroils the EU member state in the already fractious conflict in the Middle East and undercuts Cyprus’ ties with Israel.
Here’s what is known.
Why is Cyprus’s location important?
in the Eastern MediterraLocatednean at an important geopolitical crossroads between the Middle East and Southern Europe, Cyprus finds itself geographically much closer to the conflicts in the Middle East than major European capitals.
The island, which is about twice the size of the US state of Delaware, is divided into two main parts: the Greek-speaking southern region known as the Republic of Cyprus, and the Turkish-speaking northern region known as the Republic of Northern Turkey. . Cyprus. This division reflects the historical and ongoing rivalry between Greece and Türkiye. While most of the international community recognizes the sovereignty of the Greek Cypriot part of Cyprus, Nasrallah’s recent threats were directed towards this nation.
The Republic of Cyprus holds membership in the European Union but is not part of the NATO defense alliance, which mandates mutual defense between member states in case of aggression. The island is home to approximately 920,000 inhabitants, with its capital located in Nicosia.
What is the extent of Cyprus’ relations with Israel?
Diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Israel were established after gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1960, although Cyprus did not establish an embassy in Tel Aviv until 1994. Relations became strained during the 1980s and 1990s due to issues such as Israel’s close ties with Turkey and its stance in the Arab–Israeli conflict, where Cyprus aligned itself with Arab states and supported the Palestinian state.
However, relations improved again in the late 1990s and 2000s, driven by Israel’s growing interest in the Eastern Mediterranean for economic partnership, especially after the discovery of natural gas in the area. Israel also views Cyprus as a strategically in countering regional threats, particularly Turkey and Iranian-allied groups, experts say.
In recent years, Israel has used Cyprus territory to train its troops in preparation for a potential conflict with Hezbollah. According to Israeli media, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly find the area of Cyprus to be similar to Lebanon.
In 2022, the IDF conducted a cooperative military exercise with Cypriot forces, in which part of the training focused on scenarios involving multiple fronts and strategies against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli media reported. Their most recent joint exercise took place in Cyprus in May 2023.
Regarding the matter, the Cyprus Presidency said on Thursday that the country “has never and will never facilitate any aggressive action or attack against any nation.
What has been Cyprus’s role in the Gaza war?
Cyprus has been active in clarifying its non-involvement in the Gaza conflict, emphasizing its humanitarian efforts and facilitating aid shipments to Gaza.
President Christodoulides said, highlighting its recognized role in humanitarian efforts, ‘the Republic of Cyprus is contributing not to the problem but to the solution, including the establishment of a sea corridor for aid ships sailing from Cyprus ports to Gaza.
Since March, Cyprus has allowed aid shipments to Gaza, such as the first sea delivery of 200 tons of food, equivalent to approximately 500,000 meals. Additionally, an EU logistics hub was established in Cyprus to streamline aid flows into Gaza.
Nicosia has criticized some Israeli actions in Gaza, particularly actions hindering humanitarian aid deliveries. In April, Cyprus joined the United Arab Emirates in condemning Israel’s deadly attack on the World Central Kitchen charity group, which resulted in seven deaths.
Cyprus has also condemned Hamas for its attack on Israel on 7 October.
The island has previously found itself at the crossroads of regional conflicts, underscoring its proximity to the volatile Middle East. In 2019, Northern Cyprus experienced the impact of a suspected Russian-made missile, which Cypriot authorities believe is linked to military activities. Syria is landing less than 15 miles north of the capital, Nicosia.
Commenting on a hypothetical scenario where Israel uses Cyprus bases for military operations, which Hezbollah has warned against, Iran analyst and Amwaz.media editor Mohammad Ali Shabani highlighted that such The move “will effectively extend the Gaza conflict into the EU.”
This would be the first example of an EU member state directly participating in the extended Gaza conflict.
While some experts suggest that a full-scale Israel–Hezbollah war is impossible, citing the mutual reluctance of both sides to escalate to that level, others are concerned about the potential implications of any military engagement involving Israel and Hezbollah.
“Recent drone footage of Hezbollah showing sensitive locations inside Israel should serve as a deterrent against potential Israeli actions,” Lena Khatib, associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank in London, told CNN. Is seen in.” The 9-minute video released by Hezbollah on Tuesday depicts civilian and military sites in and around Israel’s Haifa.
Khatib stressed, “Both Israel and Hezbollah have contingency plans to deal with tensions, but at present, neither side would benefit from a full-scale war.” “Hezbollah understands that a conflict with Israel would have devastating consequences for Lebanon, and the public has little appetite for such a scenario.”
Regarding US involvement, Khatib suggested that the Biden administration is unlikely to allow Israel to independently face a war on two fronts. He highlighted the possibility of US involvement in “other Iran-backed groups and the risk of direct Iranian involvement”.
“Iran is keen to avoid the high costs associated with such a conflict,” Khatib said. “In addition, the United States is cautious about becoming embroiled in another Middle Eastern conflict, especially with the upcoming presidential elections.”
You might also like:
Agreement between Putin and Kim
{Hezbollah}
{Hezbollah}
1 thoughts on“Why Hezbollah is threat to this small European (EU) nation“