Why’s Hezbollah Chief Threatened Cyprus?

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday in a speech on Gaza developments and escalating tensions with Israel on the northern front addressed Cyprus leaders as the partners of the Israelis, saying that Israel believes that if its airports are targeted, it will use the airports and facilities of Cyprus to attack Lebanon. "Therefore, the Cypriot government should know that Opening Cypriot airports and bases to the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon would mean that the Cypriot government is part of the war, and the resistance [Hezbollah] will deal with it as part of the war."

This is the first time Hezbollah threatens Cyprus as a member of the EU in the Mediterranean. Nasrallah's threats come in response to growing threats the Israeli officials are making about possible opening of a war front against Hezbollah from the northern borders. Nasrallah's warnings come to highlight Hezbollah’s full readiness for war conditions and even for expansion of the possible war to Israeli logistical and military strengthes cross-border. 

Cyprus afraid after Hezbollah warning

According to Lebanese media, the warnings by Hezbollah chief coincided with visit of delegation of Cypriot intelligence agency to Beirut and talks with Lebanese army's intelligence about illegal immigration. According to Al-Akhbar newspaper, in this meeting, the Lebanese officials shared the warnings of Hezbollah with the Cypriot officials, and the head of the Cypriot delegation pledged that Nicosia will not allow any country to use its territory and air bases to attack Lebanon. The Cypriot city of Paphos is the point where Hezbollah and Lebanese officials believe Israel organizes anti-Hezbollah activities from.

Still, to clear themselves of consequences, in their talks in Beirut, the Cypriots said that there are two British-operated bases in this divided island country that are not under their authority and according to the pact with London, the British government is not obliged to report its activities there, an excuse experts say is far from capable of keeping Cypriot away from being targeted as a legitimate target should its territory is involved in any military operations by the Israelis against Lebanon. 

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said he read about the remarks made and what he needs to do. "The answer is that the Republic of Cyprus is not at all involved in war or conflicts, it is not part of the problem but part of the solution, and our role in this is shown, for example, through humanitarian aid to Gaza. This [aid] corridor has been recognized not only by the Arab world, but also by the international community." 

Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said his country will not take part in any military operations that can justify such threats. 

" The threats are baseless and we have been actively working with various countries and the United Nations to support the people of Gaza for months. Therefore, we are equally surprised by Nasrallah's accusations, because they have nothing to do with the actions or principles of Cyprus," Kombos said. 

Nasrallah's warnings seem to have rattled Cyprus, making it extremely afraid of being unwantedly dragged into a devastating war. In this regard, Reuters reflected the mood of the streets of Paphos in a report and quoted Cypriots and island residents as saying that they feel worried after Nasrallah's warning, having in mind that they have nothing to do with the war in the east of Cyprus and do not want it to influence them.

The opposition Communist Party, the second largest party in Cyprus, said that "Cyprus should be a bridge for peace not a war base or a training ground for a foreign army... The goal of Cyprus is to fight to get rid of foreign armies on our island, and any foreign military presence on this island does not add to the security of our people, but increases the dangers and enemies."

In the past nine months, Hezbollah has proven that it is determined to support the Palestinian people, and the threats of the radical leaders of Tel Aviv not only have not stopped this resistance movement from continuing its operations, but also the attacks on the occupied territories are becoming broader day by day. Hezbollah leaders have warned that they have only used a small part of their weapons arsenal, and in case of a full-scale conflict, they will open the "gates of hell" to the Israelis. With Nasrallah's threats, Cyprus or its Western supporters will not stay immune to fury of this resistance. 

Still, some experts believe that Nasrallah's warning is part of a psychological warfare aimed at sending a clear message to Hezbollah's enemies that any attempt by Israel to expand the scope of the war and attack Lebanon will have major consequences on all of Israel's Western allies - especially regional allies. Karim Emil Bitar, an associate professor of international relations at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera that "Hezbollah's psychological warfare can force the European Union to pressure Israel to avoid expanding the scope of the war against Lebanon."

Cyprus role in Gaza war 

Though Nasrallah's speech has brought Cyprus to the focus, from months ago there were reports of role playing of this country in the American and Israeli plans regarding Gaza war. 

With the continuation of Israeli war crimes in the besieged coastal enclave that has caused a dire humanitarian crisis, international pressures mounted for shipment of aid to Gaza. Meanwhile, Cyprus for its proximity to the occupied territories was picked as the center of delivery of humanitarian aids through sea. Over the past few months, several ships carrying aids were dispatched to Gaza. 

Even Cyprus is said to have been lobbying to convince the EU to donate €1 billion to Lebanon in the past months, and in May, a Cypriot official confirmed that the European bloc agreed to a request for funding to prevent Syrian refugees from entering Lebanon. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Union Commission, stated the "€1 billion until 2027 will provide much needed assistance to the people in Lebanon and contribute to its security and stability.” 

Also after the US constructed its floating pier for the so-called Gaza aid delivery, Cyprus played a bolder role in the American-Israeli scenarios for Gaza. 

Cyprus place in Israel's regional coalition

Cyprus is one of the members of the EU and the closest European country to the Middle East, and neighboring Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and occupied Palestine, and in this respect, it enjoys an important geopolitical position, which has involved Nicosia into regional competitions to some extent. 

In recent years, Cyprus has expanded its relations with Israel and has hosted joint military exercises with the Israeli army several times, including the May 2023 Blue Sky drills which included simulating invasion of Lebanon. In addition, the Mossad and Shin Bet spy agencies have a very close relationship with the Cyprus intelligence, something displaying the rapid growth of bilateral relations. 

Contrary to the statements of the Cypriot authorities that they do not assist any Israeli war, the Guardian newspaper revealed in a report on Friday that Cyprus allowed the Israeli military to use its airspace to conduct exercises simulating Iran's attack on Israel.

Since Netanyahu cabinet has recently said it approved the Lebanon invasion plan, worries have mounted about expansion of the domain of war beyond Lebanese and Israeli borders in which Tel Aviv counts on help from its allies in the region in case of any war with Hezbollah. Cyprus can significantly help due to its proximity to the occupied territories and having ports in the Mediterranean. 

Two military bases of Akrotiri and Dheikelia have exited before Cyprus became independent and while its was a colony of the British Empire. These two British-operated airbases act independently and Nicosia has no sovereignty over them. Last November, the British Ministry of Defense said it uses the bases to help rescue British prisoners in Gaza and conduct reconnaissance flights in the eastern Mediterranean over occupied Palestine and Lebanon. Therefore, it is not unlikely that the two islands will be used for air and logistical support to the Israelis in the attack on Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Cypriot authorities clear themselves of consequences under the excuse that they have not authority over them. 

In March 2024, Yedioth Aharonot reported that Israel was planning to acquire a Cyprus port in the Mediterranean for its exports in case of closure of Haifa port in a war with Hezbollah. According to this Israeli newspaper, this Israeli effort is meant to find maritime solutions for imports, especially amid the Red Sea challenge marked by Yemeni Ansarullah's ban on Israeli ships and ports in solidarity with Gaza. 

The friendly relations between Cyprus and the Israeli regime, in addition to the military dimension, are also on the path of progress in trade and energy. In recent years, Greece and Cyprus, both members of the EU, have had a lot of tensions with Turkey over Turkish exploration ships operating in the Mediterranean and off the coast of Cyprus, and in order to increase their weight against Turkey, they have invited Israel to their alliance so that they can produce oil and Gaza from the disputed reserves and make huge profits. 

Cyprus is also part of the India-Middle East-Europe corridor the US President Joe Biden unveiled in September last year as a rival to China's Road and Belt Initiative. This corridor, aimed at boosting trade with the Israeli regime to break its decades-long regional isolation, has doubled Cyprus significance for the Israelis. 

Having in mind that Cypriot ships dock in Haifa port, it is not unlikely that in a war with Hezbollah, they will deliver Western arms to Israel under the cover of Gaza aids. Undoubtedly, Nasrallah chief gave his final warnings for Cyprus to stay away from any conflict, or, against the will of Hezbollah, face missiles of resistance forces.