Cyprus is taking all measures necessary to maintain its security as it walks a line between providing a base for the RAF and provoking a reaction from Iran. British fighter jets taking off from RAF Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island shot down a number of Iranian drones fired at targets in Israel, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday (April 14).
Israel said Iran launched 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles in its Saturday night attack.
Cypriot government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Monday (April 15) that the country’s National Security Council is in constant session and Nicosia is taking “all measures” for its security.
Asked about any security concerns in Cyprus, he said there were no current indications, according to Cypriot English language news website in-cyprus.com.
The country’s president, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Sunday the east Mediterranean island nation wasn’t in any way involved in any military action to thwart Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack against Israel.
Mr Christodoulides told reporters that aircraft had arrived in Cyprus from neighbouring countries late on Saturday, adding they were due to depart on Sunday.
Asked if the UK had told the Cypriot government ahead of time that any of its warplanes would be involved in intercepting the Iranian attack, Mr Christodoulides said there was no forewarning.
Britain has two military bases in Cyprus – including the larger air base RAF Akrotiri, near Limassol in the south of the country.
The two bases are British sovereign territory and don’t require the Cypriot government’s permission to launch any military action. Usually, London does brief Nicosia of any impending action as a courtesy.
Britain’s bases in Cyprus form part of the treaty which saw the island gain independence from colonial rule in August 1960.
The Cypriot president said his foreign minister spoke with his British counterpart only after the fact.
He added that he’s hoping there’s no further escalation because his government doesn’t believe that “any problems are solved through such aggressive acts”.
Cyprus is at pains to indicate it has not been actively involved as it seeks to avoid a reaction from Iran. There were also protests in the country over claims Britain uses Cyprus to channel weapons to Israel and as a base to attack Yemeni rebels targeting Red Sea shipping.
Meanwhile, world leaders are urging Israel not to retaliate after Iran’s attack. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told the BBC the UK does not support a retaliatory strike. French President Emmanuel Macron said Paris will try to “convince Israel we must not respond by escalating”.
The Iranian attack came less than two weeks after a suspected Israeli strike in Syria that killed two Iranian generals in an Iranian consular building.
Tehran’s attack marked the first time Iran has launched a direct military assault on Israel, despite decades of enmity dating back to the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
An Israeli military spokesman said that 99 percent of the drones and missiles launched by Iran were intercepted.
Israel and Iran have been on a collision course throughout Israel’s six-month war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
The war erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack on October 7 which killed 1,200 people in Israel and saw 250 others taken hostage.
An Israeli offensive in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and killed over 33,700 people, according to local health officials.
Tyler Mitchell
It’s concerning that Cyprus is caught in the middle of such tense situations. Hopefully, all necessary security measures are in place to protect the nation.
Are the residents of Cyprus feeling anxious about the increased military activity on the island in response to the Iran drone strike?